Offering ourselves to God as living sacrifices: Romans 12
In Romans chapter 12, the apostle Paul exhorts believers in Christ to offer their bodies as living sacrifices to God. What did he mean by this and how do we follow it?
Offering our bodies to God
In the first eleven chapters of Romans, Paul wrote how God demonstrated his mercy to us through Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection. And all those who believe this good news, Jews and Gentiles alike, receive this mercy and are justified—put into a right relationship with God. But in chapter 12, Paul addresses believers who are already justified. He now focuses on the believer’s response to God’s mercy:
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. (Romans 12:1)
Our Lord’s sacrifice was the greatest expression of God’s mercy ever shown to us. In view of this, we as believers have only one proper and appropriate response: to offer ourselves back to God for his service. Paul calls this response true worship—what worship really consists of. All our singing, praise, and music should lead to this.
Dead sacrifices
In the Mosaic Law, God commanded the Israelites to sacrifice animals as part of their worship and service to him. These animals were killed and then offered on the altar. But they were dead sacrifices, and besides, didn’t actually remove the peoples’ sins. They only served to remind them of their need for forgiveness and restoration with God. The true sacrifice that God required was still to come—that of the Messiah.
So, the people could offer their animal sacrifices and then go away and forget the reason for doing so. Or worse, they could offer them only as a religious obligation and not out of love for God.
Burnt offering
The Old Testament burnt offering (Leviticus 1, 6:8-13) provides an image of a person who is wholly given over to God. This offering was to be an expression of a believer’s dedication to the Lord and could be performed at any time. Most animal sacrifices were roasted and later eaten by the priests. But this animal offering was to remain on the altar fire all night until it was totally consumed. Nothing was left for the worshipper or priests to partake of.
In the same way, those who offer their bodies to God as a living sacrifice are offering their whole selves, and nothing is held back. They give God full access to their body to be used for his purposes.
Living sacrifices
Paul’s exhortation is for us to follow the steps of Jesus, who willingly gave himself up to the Father’s will. In doing so, he experienced death in all its forms. But he rose again and forever lives to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25) and provide his power and life to those who believe. The believer in Christ is now alive in Christ, and forever so.
So, in Romans 12, Paul is exhorting believers to offer themselves. This time the offerings are living sacrifices that can act, think, speak, and work. And these living sacrifices are now being filled with the very life of God as they die to themselves and become alive to God:
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
This dying should be a regular, even daily practice. And this process of dying to ourselves and living unto God is something we will repeat every day until we go to be with the Lord.
Transformation
When we offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God, he transforms our minds so that we can discern God’s will, plans, and priorities:
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)
When we follow Christ, we die to our own plans and desires and become alive to his plans and desires. We come to understand what pleases him, and what we should be doing with our time and energy. And as we yield our will to God’s will, we experience his peace and joy, the fruit of the Spirit.
Offering ourselves in holiness and purity
God also wants these living sacrifices to be “holy and pleasing to him.” God is holy and when we enter his service, he requires pure vessels for his use.
In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. (2 Timothy 2:20-21)
In giving God our bodies as living sacrifices, we are preparing ourselves for God’s service. As we devote our bodies to him, he cleanses us from sin and makes us into “holy vessels” ready to be used for his special purposes.
What do we give to God?
Many preachers today encourage people to “give their lives to God.” For some people this expresses a wholehearted surrender to the Lord, which is good. But we don’t find this phrase in the Bible, since there is really nothing in one’s “life” that God doesn’t already possess and control. Our health, our employment, our food and water supplies, our physical environment, and our very existence are already in his hands. And if he wanted to, he could end our lives at any time. He is the sovereign Creator and Sustainer who already rules over these things.
But God wants us to give to him what is in our control.
What do we control?
Do we control the future? No, only God controls the future, and we would be better off not to worry about it (Matthew 6:25). Do we control the past? No, the past is already gone. All we have is the present.
So, what do we actually control? We control ourselves. In other words, we control our body and the direction it takes in the present moment. So, “giving our bodies to God” is not a passive exercise, but an active and intentional dying to self on the altar.
What do we offer God practically?
Some believers tend to live a passive walk with the Lord that doesn’t cost them much. They prefer to sit back and “let God do everything.” Or they allow God to use them when things fall into place, but don’t actively seek opportunities to serve him. But offering ourselves to God involves practical and tangible sacrifices that have a real cost:
Heart
God’s greatest command to us is to love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30)
As a part of giving our bodies as a sacrifice, we give our hearts. The heart is the control center of the body. It reflects what we really want, what we desire, and what’s important to us. Loving God with our heart means our greatest desire is to please him.
Physical presence
In giving God our bodies, we are giving him our physical presence. This means we are making ourselves available to him for his use. To do so, we often have to sacrifice other activities we like to do. We can’t be in two places at once, if there’s a conflict of schedule we need to make a choice. To serve God we then have to show up where and when we are needed.
Strength
“Love the Lord your God with all your strength.” In giving God our bodies, we are also offering him our physical strength. This means exerting energy to accomplish tangible goals and results. It frequently involves getting out of the house and into the world, wherever there’s work being done for the Lord. It could mean visiting the sick or incarcerated, leading a Bible study, engaging in service or building projects, helping the incapacitated or elderly, volunteering for a non-profit organization, or doing any ministry that requires physical or mental strength.
Natural abilities
God can use our natural abilities and gifts, talents, and expertise. This could be musical talent, mechanical or construction ability, medical knowledge, or any kind of professional knowledge or acquired skill.
Speech
The tongue is a powerful tool and can be used for good or for evil. And God wants to use our speech for his purposes. Those of us who have a gift for speaking can be used greatly by the Lord to instruct, counsel, encourage, guide, and bless others. But those who have a problem with uncontrolled speech need to learn self-control first. In both cases, the believer is to give this part of their body to God.
Mind
The mind is a function of the brain, and the brain is a physical organ of the body. So, God also wants our minds and thoughts to serve him. This could mean devoting to him our intellect, our ability to solve problems, or our ability to speak wisdom to those who need it. It could also mean using our minds to design and produce things of value that help people.
Time
Time is the most valuable of all assets. Giving our physical strength and abilities means nothing unless we also allocate time to utilize those abilities. When we give our time, we are giving ourselves.
Spiritual gifts
God has given every believer in Christ at least one spiritual gift to serve and edify others. Continuing in Romans 12, Paul wrote:
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. (Romans 12:4-8)
This is how we offer our physical bodies for his use in the context of the church. We serve one another by exercising the spiritual gifts that God has imparted to each of us. In this way he uses us to bless our brothers and sisters in Christ and build them up in their faith.
Getting on the altar
Humans by nature avoid doing anything that requires sacrifice. God commands us to sacrifice our bodies, but many times we resist actually getting on the altar. We sometimes avoid it entirely and justify our disobedience with platitudes and cliches: “God understands.” “He knows what I’ve been through.” “I prayed about it, and he didn’t tell me anything.”
But God has told us to offer ourselves, so we just need to do it. He will then take it from there and lead us into fruitful service.
So, let’s stop offering to God things he already has. Let’s instead offer him what we have under our control and can actually give. Let’s respond to God’s mercy by offering God our bodies as living sacrifices, pure, acceptable, and holy to him.
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