Day #19 | Behold 2028 Devotional

“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

This transitional verse directs us how to live in a way that pleases God in response to His saving grace and mercy. After the earlier chapters of Romans which outline the doctrines of God’s grace – the justification of sinners, the gift of salvation, and the promise of eternal life – this begins Paul’s teachings of the practical application and implications to His mercies and grace. In a clear call to action, Paul pleads with the believer to make a choice about the way we live for Christ as He has transformed us. He appeals to us to offer far more than a simple animal sacrifice. 

We as believers must present a living sacrifice of ourselves through a life of dedicated service and whole-life worship. As we walk in newness of life, we have been separated from the blood sacrifice and dead offerings required in the Old Testament. Jesus says in John 5:24 that we are passed from death unto life. We are living! Because of this life, we must not simply exist as Christians. We need to be active and living a holy life in constant surrender to God’s will and living in a way which pleases Him. Our sacrifice needs to be set apart in a way that reflects the character of God. Paul calls this act of surrender our reasonable service, or worship. This is the logical reaction as we consider all He has done for us and how we have been transformed. Our actions, words, relationships, and work will become the exhibition of our worship to our holy, merciful, and gracious God.