Holy and Acceptable

Meditation

I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

(Romans 12:1)

If I have truly given my life over to the Lord, then he will grant me the mercy of forgiving my sins, every one of them, great and small. Jesus willingly sacrificed himself on the cross, suffering a horrific death, to save me and you from our sins. What am I willing to sacrifice to show my gratitude to Jesus for such a sacrifice? I gave up my old life of sin and wickedness, leaving them at the foot of the cross. If I continued to behave the same way I always have, was I ever saved, really? Sacrifice is supposed to be painful. It means I give up something I really love. God wants me to sacrifice my sinful life and live for him. That means, no more living to please only me. Instead, I now live to please God.

When I think of a living sacrifice, I think of people like Saul of Tarsus. He was, what would have been called, a righteous Pharisee. A member of the ruling class in Judea. He gave that all up after his experience on the road to Damascus. From then on, he lived totally for Jesus. He gave up his old life to live a holy and acceptable life devoted to God and spreading the good news. There are people like convicted criminals who give their lives to Jesus, forsaking their lives of crime. Many of them serve God for the rest of their lives. Then I think of a regular person like me, who has never done anything extremely terrible, but who now dedicates their lives to Christ.

God’s holiness knows no bounds. I will never be as holy as he is but that doesn’t mean I don’t have to try. Each day, I must reject the earthly desires that lead me into sinfulness. Each day, I must seek the face of God, and his will for my life. Each day, I must go to him in prayer and supplication, thanking him for his provision and praising him for his greatness! Worship is not just for Sundays. I worship him with my acts of love and kindness throughout the day. I worship when I focus on what he wants me to show the unbelieving world around me. I worship when I go to him with my prayers. I have to ask, are you saved, really? Is God one of your first thoughts in the morning, and one of the last thoughts at night? What have you sacrificed?

Prayer Time

Father God you are holy and good in every way, far beyond our ability to match. You gave up your Son, Jesus, on the cross as the only acceptable sacrifice to pay the price for our sins. We are so thankful for your love, dear Lord. We lay down our sins at your cross and humbly seek your mercy and grace. We hand over whatever vice we are in bondage to and ask you to fill that void with something pure and clean. Whether it’s a legal activity, or not. Whether it’s condoned by our society, or not. If it’s something that distracts us from following Jesus with an upright heart, help us to sacrifice that at the cross. Show us there’s a better life for us when we hand over control to you. Thank you for being the God you are. The many false gods that people worship today, are all petty and merciless. In other words, they mirror the hearts and attitudes of the people who created them. Be with us every day, Lord, as we seek your face and try to know your will. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen!