Day 23 – What Does it Mean to Sacrifice Myself?
~Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
There are many religions today that misinterpret this verse and it is so sad. To harm or mutilate and punish one’s own body because of sin in order to bring the body under subjection is absolutely wrong teaching. Christ paid the price for our sins. He took the punishment. Bringing our bodies under subjection is a figure of speech which encourages us to transform our minds! It is possible to sin less – we must view sin the way God views it!
~Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
We do not need to do anything for our sins over and above what Christ has already done. This desire to do so is as old as Cain! Nothing we do will wipe away our sin. It is all God’s doing through Christ’s death. After we, through repentance and faith, accept the fact that Christ is the only way to Heaven (John 14:6), we can then and only then start working at putting to death our old man and giving up sin (2 Corinthians 5:17)!
~1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Offering up spiritual sacrifices which are acceptable to the Lord is our calling to put to death the worldly things in our lives and replace them with that which is holy and acceptable! Just as the priests of the Old Testament offered up sacrifices, we are to offer up our own selves, if you will – yielding ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit as He molds us into the image of Jesus Christ.
~2 Tim 2:19-20 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
How do we offer spiritual sacrifices to the Lord? It is a daily work – yielding ourselves to what is good and right and forsaking what is sin. It’s a choice, friend! Notice the word “yield” in the verses below – yes, we make the choice to yield!
~Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God.
~Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
If you are consistently committing the same sin over and over, you’re not yielding yourself to the Holy Spirit but to the devil. When a child of God continues in sin and chooses to disobey, God will do as any good parent would do and He will chastise His child (Hebrews 12:6 and Revelations 3:19). As well, it stands to reason that if you are yielding yourself to the Holy Spirit, you are sacrificing those things which you know offend God. You are putting your body to death toward the things of the world.
~1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
Why would we let sin dwell within us? We are the temple of God! We have the power to say no – we have the ability to overcome because the Holy Spirit of God dwells in us! The unsaved cannot at this because they don’t have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to help them. We have no excuse – we have the Holy Spirit and, therefore, have the ability to say no to sin. Granted, there will be times when we will have to ask for forgiveness (1 John 1:9). However, this will occur less and less as we heed the Holy Spirit’s prodding in our lives. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
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