A Living Sacrifice

Introduction

“A veteran is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to “The United States of America” for an amount up to and including their life”

There really is no better illustration of this passage of scripture than what so many men and women have done in making the decision to give a portion of their life in service to our great nation.

Today I want to challenge you to again present yourself a living sacrifice, but not for your country, instead for your savior!

The Motivation for Sacrifice

What is it that motivated you to make the decision to join the armed forces? Love of country, the desire to have a stable career, the desire to make a difference in the world, etc…

Paul urges us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice but what is it that would motivate us to do so?

It is the mercy of God! God has been merciful to each and every one of us.

You and I deserved eternal condemnation because of our sin and yet God has extended mercy to you and to me by providing a way by which we can be free from condemnation.

Paul wanted the believers in the church at Rome to understand that what he is urging them to do is merely a logical decision based upon what God has done for them.

Jesus Christ left the glories of heaven to come to a sin cursed world to live amongst sinful men who would hate and despise Him. He gave His life a ransom for us to purchase our redemption.

“A consideration of all that Christ has done for us should motivate us to surrender our lives to Him in return.”

The Implication of Sacrifice

If we would make the decision to present ourselves as a living sacrifice what are the implications?

It means a life of holiness- purity and consecration. It means that each and every moment of every day we must strive to do that which is well-pleasing to the Lord.

It means not allowing ourselves to be conformed to this world. We must not allow the world to influence our thinking or our behavior.

It means allowing God, through the work of the Holy Spirit and His Word, to transform our thoughts and in turn our behavior so that we live as He would have us to live.

“God is not asking for us to merely make a sacrifice, but instead that we would literally become a sacrifice!”

Military Service- you no longer had a choice as to where you lived, you no longer had a choice as to where you would serve, you no longer had a choice as to what you would do or how you would do it. You simply followed orders. Ultimately your entire duty was to carry out the will of your commander.

The Intention of Sacrifice

What will my presenting myself as a living sacrifice ultimately accomplish?

If we will become a living sacrifice wholly surrendered to the Lord in every thought and action then we will know and do the perfect will of God!

There is no greater accomplishment for the Christian than to fulfill all the will of God!

This is the only way that a believer can ever truly “be all that (he/she) can be”

Have you ever wondered why you were created?

God has designed each of us for a particular purpose but we will never know the full potential of God’s plan for our lives until we will present ourselves upon the altar of sacrifice to Him!

Conclusion

Jesus Christ came in submission to the father, to present himself as a sacrificial lamb who would take away the sin of the world. He bled and died to save you from your sins and to give you eternal life if you will trust Him as your savior today.

If you have trusted Christ as savior, have you presented yourself to Him as a living sacrifice?