Offer Your Body as a Living Sacrifice

SUNDAY SERVICE

14/4/2024

Speaker: Elder Abubakar Saraki Musa

Text: Romans 12:1-2

Topic: Offer your body as a living sacrifice

Paul, the writer of Romans, deeply understood the significance of sacrifices outlined in the Old Testament law. He emphasized the importance of offering our bodies as living sacrifices unto God. Unlike the sacrifices of the past, which involved the shedding of blood and the offering of unblemished animals (Leviticus 1:1-4), our sacrifice is to be living and ongoing. In the Old Testament, even the choice of animals and grains for sacrifice was regulated, highlighting the importance of the quality and intent of the offering.

The rejection of Cain's sacrifice and the acceptance of Abel's serve as a poignant reminder that God looks beyond mere ritualistic acts; He examines the heart and motives behind our offerings. The shedding of animal blood in the Old Testament sacrificial system symbolized the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

As recipients of this grace, we are called to live lives that honor God. Our bodies are likened to temples of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 1:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16), deserving of reverence and purity.

What should we do to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice? Romans 12:2 (NIV): "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...". Therefore, we are urged not to conform to the ways of the world but to undergo a transformation through the renewal of our minds. Offering ourselves as living sacrifices requires a conscious decision to align our thoughts, actions, and desires with God's will. It entails a commitment to holy living and a rejection of sinful inclinations. Failure to do so leaves us vulnerable to condemnation on judgment day.

In essence, the call to offer our bodies as living sacrifices is a call to wholehearted devotion and surrender to God's will. It is a daily commitment to walk in righteousness and to allow the transforming power of God's Spirit to renew us from within.