Paul says in Romans 12:1 ‘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 worship’. Before I can explain to you the revelation I received regarding this verse, I would like to draw your attention to the story of Eli’s sons in 1 Samuel Chapter 2 verse 27 onward. We see that Eli and his family were chosen to serve God as priests. They were given the privilege to wear priestly costumes and perform sacrificial rituals on behalf of Israelites and even partake in the sacrificial food that was offered to God. Eli’s sons however dishonored God by sending servants to bring them sacrificial food even before the process of sacrifice was complete. A worship that was once meant to please God has now become a ritual now meant to please the priest’s sons. The honour that was meant for God alone has been robbed by the very people who were meant to bring him honour. God therefore cursed Eli’s generation and the rest is history.
Similarly in the new testament age, we who have called on the name of Jesus; we have received salvation and have been made one with Christ. According to 1 Peter 2:9 we are now God’s chosen people, a royal priesthood and a holy nation. For God to give sinners these privileges and titles is by his mercy and by the power of the blood of Jesus (1 Peter 2:10). It is this very mercy of God that Paul refers to in Romans 12:1. In view of this mercy, we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifice HOLY and ACCEPTABLE. This means we are to offer ourselves to God giving him all honour and all glory. How do we do it? In Romans 12:2, we are told to avoid living by pattern of this world and be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The pattern of this world is to accept sin as normal, is to live life like there is no tomorrow and is to dishonour God by living in darkness. We, the children of God need to hate evil and also love sincerely. We cannot worship God and live the way of the world just as Eli’s sons. We are called to live Holy and Acceptable. If we sin, we have the right to ask God for forgiveness and to be reconciled and to change from our old ways by the renewing of our minds.
I have made a short Youtube video about this topic. I hope it blesses you today.
