November 27th~A Living Sacrifice

Romans 11:1-14:23

We transitioned into the second half of Paul’s letter to the Romans. He spent the first half (Romans 1-11) focused on the truths of the Gospel, of salvation. Now, in the second half of his letter (12-16), he will focus on the transformation of the Gospel, the effects that salvation should have in one’s life.

The turning point of the letter hinges on two verses. “And so, dear brothers and sisters, [after all that I have written already], I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice, the kind that He will accept. When you think of what He has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (12:1, 2).

Noah Webster defined a sacrifice as “an offering to God in worship, to destroy, surrender, or suffer to be lost for the sake of obtaining something” (1828 Dictionary). People in the Old Testament sacrificed animals in honor of God. They surrendered their possession of the animal and suffered loss (something they needed or desired to keep) in order to gain glory for His name. “For everything comes from Him; everything exists by His power and is intended for His glory. To Him be glory forevermore” (11:36).

Likewise, Paul calls upon Christians to be “a living sacrifice” (a continuous sacrifice) in honor of God’s name. Practically speaking, he is challenging us to destroy, surrender, or suffer for the sake of obtaining glory for God. What does that look like exactly?

First, in Christ, we are new creatures; the old life is to pass away or be destroyed with its sinful lusts. Likewise, we are to destroy the worldly influence that the enemy attempts to wield in our lives. We are not to copy the behavior and customs of this world. Second, we are to surrender our will and succumb to the direction of the Holy Spirit. He has a plan and purpose for our lives, but we so often get in the way; we must, therefore, sacrifice ourselves for His good. Third, we are to suffer the loss of our sinful passions and selfish desires for the good of others.

Daily Reflection

Self-sacrifice is not easy. Why not?

Self-sacrifice is a life-long process. It does not happen overnight. Paul wrote, “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” This change is not immediate but continuous. Over a stretch of time, you should notice a change in how you think, how you live, and what is important to you. Can you see that your view of things today is different than your view of them years ago? Explain.

By what means does God change the way you think? How does this process take place?

BiAY.org | Day 331 — 34 Days to Go