Bible League: Living His Word 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.Under the terms of the old covenant sacrifices of atonement for sin were required to be made. The sacrifices consisted of animals that had been slain and that had been dedicated and offered to God. These sacrifices were not ultimately adequate as a means of atonement and had to be, as a result, repeated on a regular basis (Hebrews 10:1-4). They merely foreshadowed the ultimately adequate and once-for-all sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Since the sacrifice of Christ, the old covenant animal sacrifices are no longer required. Given that animal sacrifices are no longer required, is there any sacrifice left to make by those who are Christians in virtue of saving faith in Jesus Christ? Since Christians have been bought with the price of Christ's sacrifice and are now slaves to Christ (I Corinthians 7:22-23), the only acceptable sacrifice we have left to make is the sacrifice of our own selves. These sacrifices are not, therefore, the sacrifices of dead animals, but "a living sacrifice." Instead of dedicating and offering dead animals to God, we dedicate and offer our own live selves in service to Christ. What does a living sacrifice, the sacrifice of our own selves, actually look like? The verses that follow our verse for today give us an idea of what the Apostle Paul had in mind. We are living sacrifices when we do not conform to the evil that is in the world and when we are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). In other words, we are living sacrifices when we deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus. A living sacrifice is a life lived the way Jesus wants it to be lived. The living sacrifices that we make should be "holy and acceptable to God," just as the animals of the old covenant sacrifices were supposed to be without defect of any kind. And our living sacrifices can be holy and acceptable, because we have been made holy and acceptable by the blood of the Lamb. Every time we do something that truly reflects who we are in Christ Jesus we are a living sacrifice. Let everything we do, then, reflect our status as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingPsalm 136-138 Psalm 136 -- Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his loving kindness endures forever. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 137 -- By the rivers of Babylon we sat down, wept, remembered Zion. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 138 -- I will give you thanks with my whole heart. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 1 Corinthians 9 1 Corinthians 9 -- The Rights of an Apostle NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion But the time is coming—indeed it's here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me.Insight The disciples scattered after Jesus was arrested. Jesus accepted their statement of faith even though he knew their weakness. He knew they would have to grow into people whose words and lives matched even to the point of death. Challenge He takes us through the same process. How well are you living out what you say you believe about Jesus? Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Isaiah 54:1 Sing, O barren.Though we have brought forth some fruit unto Christ, and have a joyful hope that we are "plants of his own right hand planting," yet there are times when we feel very barren. Prayer is lifeless, love is cold, faith is weak, each grace in the garden of our heart languishes and droops. We are like flowers in the hot sun, requiring the refreshing shower. In such a condition what are we to do? The text is addressed to us in just such a state. "Sing, O barren, break forth and cry aloud." But what can I sing about? I cannot talk about the present, and even the past looks full of barrenness. Ah! I can sing of Jesus Christ. I can talk of visits which the Redeemer has aforetimes paid to me; or if not of these, I can magnify the great love wherewith he loved his people when he came from the heights of heaven for their redemption. I will go to the cross again. Come, my soul, heavy laden thou wast once, and thou didst lose thy burden there. Go to Calvary again. Perhaps that very cross which gave thee life may give thee fruitfulness. What is my barrenness? It is the platform for his fruit-creating power. What is my desolation? It is the black setting for the sapphire of his everlasting love. I will go in poverty, I will go in helplessness, I will go in all my shame and backsliding, I will tell him that I am still his child, and in confidence in his faithful heart, even I, the barren one, will sing and cry aloud. Sing, believer, for it will cheer thine own heart, and the hearts of other desolate ones. Sing on, for now that thou art really ashamed of being barren, thou wilt be fruitful soon; now that God makes thee loath to be without fruit he will soon cover thee with clusters. The experience of our barrenness is painful, but the Lord's visitations are delightful. A sense of our own poverty drives us to Christ, and that is where we need to be, for in him is our fruit found. Daily Light on the Daily Path Genesis 2:9 Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.1 John 5:11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 5:21,26 "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. • "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; Revelation 2:7 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.' Revelation 22:2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Proverbs 3:13,16,18 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. • Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. • She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast. 1 Corinthians 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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