"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."

                            -Romans 12:1 

Just like the rest of Scripture's commands, we are here instructed to do nothing more than imitate Christ. Nearly everything the Bible tells us to do has already been done by Christ Himself. We are told to be holy because He is holy (Leviticus 11:45), to love Him because He loves us (I John 4:19) and, as this verse says, to present our bodies as living sacrifices because Jesus became one for us during His life on this earth (Hebrews 9:12).

But what exactly does it mean to be a living sacrifice? Does it mean going to church regularly? No, that is a weekly sacrifice. What about spending daily quiet time with God? No, that is a daily sacrifice. While these things are all very important, as Christians, we are called to be more than a weekly, or even a daily, sacrifice. Instead, we are to be  living sacrifices. This means our every word and deed should be aimed at bringing God glory. It means learning to say with the apostle Paul, "The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God." (Galatians 2:20)


We must learn to follow Paul's example and live our life entirely unto God. No, not our moments of convenience, but our entire existence. Then we will truly understand what it means to be a living sacrifice.

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

                            -I Corinthians 10:31