In the preceding verses, Romans 11:33-36, Paul writes of the greatness of God and of the fact that all things are created by Him and for Him. We are included in “all things”, “therefore” we are urged in Romans 12:1 to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God as our rational act of worship. God deserves all honour and praise.
Take note that we are urged to make this presentation of ourselves “by the mercies of God” and not in our own strength. A fleshly or “soulish” sacrifice of self will not be pleasing to God. By that I mean, an outward act, without true alignment and surrender to God, is not what He is seeking. In 1 Samuel 15:22,
22 Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obedience to the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed [is better] than the fat of rams.
This speaks to the posture of our hearts when presenting sacrifices unto God. In the Old Testament, animals were used for sacrifices and burnt offerings as an atonement for the sins of the people. After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that was no longer requirement as He took all sin unto Himself and paid the price for us (1 Pet 2:24; Heb 10:8-14). 1 Pet 2:24 speaks to Jesus willingly offering Himself on the cross for our sins – not that He had no challenge in coming to this place of willingness (think of His prayers in the garden of Gethsemane) but He did not ACT until His heart was in the right place for Him to proceed with willingness and not from a place of obligation. This is the kind of sacrifice God desires from us.
1 Pet 4:24 says "He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed." [emphasis added]
Jesus was the ultimate example. He offered Himself “as on an altar of sacrifice”. He did that unto death that we may live. He is therefore calling us to be living sacrifices, willingly offering ourselves up, dying to sin and living for righteousness, by His mercies, that He may be glorified!
As I reflected on “dedicating all of yourselves”, I was reminded of the tripartite nature of God, of man and of the tabernacle of the Old Testament. Man was made in the image of God – as He is tripartite (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit), so are we. We are made up of body, soul and spirit – it is our whole self, all three parts, that is to be dedicated to God. The tabernacle of the Old Testament consisted of the outer court, inner court and the Most Holy Place (where God’s presence would reside on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant). The Most Holy Place was entered once per year by only one man – the Most High Priest. When Christ died on the cross, the veil that separated the inner court from the Most Holy Place tore (Matt 27:51), it was no longer required. Jesus had made the ultimate sacrifice for mankind and He is now the only High Priest through whom we go to the Father (John 14:6). He then sent the Holy Spirit to reside with us here on earth after His ascension. For believers, the residence of the Holy Spirit is within us – this is how we carry God’s presence.
In 1 Cor 6:19-20, we are reminded that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within us. Our bodies are now the tabernacle:
- Our body (the flesh) is like the outer court. In this area there was much activity, many interactions between the priests and the people offering sacrifices. Likewise, our bodies are bombarded with much stimuli daily. All the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches are experienced through our physical bodies.
- Our soul (mind, emotions and will) is the inner court. This is where only the priests were allowed to enter. Likewise, we allow select persons into this sensitive place where we process our feelings and thoughts and make our decisions. Those who are allowed in this space are trusted, we have a relationship with them as God did with the priests.
- Our spirit is the Most Holy Place, where the Spirit of God resides and His communication centre with us. Only His Spirit and ours are allowed here. This is a sacred place. Our spirit is meant to be our command centre. As God communicates with our spirit (as He is Spirit), our spirit man gives instructions to our soul where we process the information through thoughts, emotions and will and then we take action using our physical bodies.
All three components are a part of that “living sacrifice” to God, consecrated and being made holy by His mercy. When we align with His will in heart posture and in action, we draw closer to becoming “holy and well-pleasing” to Him.
With this submission to God, with this sacrifice of self unto Him, comes true worship. God is pleased by our obedience above all else. Submitting one’s self to Him and going as He leads is worship – our obedience is worship. God does not impose His will upon us but He does make His will known to us. Our reasonable response is to align with His will and proceed accordingly. He has given us free will which means we have to CHOOSE to do His will. That is our rational act of worship.
So today I ask myself:
- Am I fully surrendered to God or am I choosing which areas I want to retain for myself?
- Am I in alignment with the Holy Spirit who lives in me or am I overriding His voice with my own fleshly desires?
- Is my worship pleasing to God or just pleasing to me?
I encourage you to do your own assessment of self and hear what the Lord is saying to you about your worship and sacrifices in this season.
Blessings.