A Living Sacrifice
Hebrews 10:24-25 [NLT], Let us think of ways to motivate one another [spur one another on] to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.
Colossians 1:13-14 [NLT], For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom [with His blood] and forgave our sins.
2 Corinthians 5:17 [NIV], Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!
Romans 12:1 [NIV], Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper [spiritual act of] worship.
Romans 12:1 [TPT], Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies? I encourage you to surrender yourselves to God to be His sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights His heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship.
“What does it mean to be a LIVING SACRIFICE?”
John 13:36-38 [NLT], Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?” And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with Me now, but You will follow Me later.” 37 “But why can’t I come now, Lord?” He asked. “I’m ready to die for You.” 38 Jesus answered, “Die for Me? I tell you the truth, Peter—before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know Me.”
Matthew 26:69-75 [NLT], Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. 71 Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the Man,” he said. 73 A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.” 74 Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75 Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know Me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.
Titus 1:16 [NLT], Such people claim they know God, but they deny Him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.
John 14:15 [GW], If you love Me, you will obey My commandments.
1 John 5:2-3 [NLT], We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey His commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping [obeying] His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome.
1 John 2:3-4 [NLT], And we can be sure that we know Him if we obey His commandments. 4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.
James 1:22 [ESV], But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
“Your attitude toward God’s Word is your attitude toward God Himself. You do not love God more than you love His Word. You do not obey God more than you obey His Word. You do not honor God more than you honor His Word. You do not have more room in your heart and life for God than you have for His Word.”
—Derek Prince
Being a living sacrifice begins and ends with our willingness to surrender our lives to Him through the obedience of God’s Word in the areas of our speech, thoughts, motives and actions.
The word sacrifice carries with it the idea of an an altar, a death and fire.
Ephesians 4:22-24 [NLT], Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
Luke 9:23-26 [NKJV], Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory…”
“It is important to kick down our own idols before undertaking other spiritual battles. We must purify ourselves and our own realm before we try to win the world or accomplish great things for Christ. If you are not seeking the fire of His holiness, you are in a different movement than the one Jesus begun. ‘But what is the fire of God?’ You may be asking. It is a transforming touch from God which causes you to hate sin and love purity with renewed vigor and, in faith, pursue holiness with intense passion. The result is a consuming love for God combined with a desire to see the lost come to Christ.” —Sergio Scataglini
Matthew 3:11-12 [NKJV], “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable [never ending] fire.”
“His fire will either burn in purification or in judgment in our lives.”
“You do the simple thing; God will do the complicated thing. You do the small thing; God will do the great thing. You do the possible thing; God will do the impossible thing."