“A Life on the Altar: Living Sacrifices for God”

Romans 12:1-2

Recap:

· “The First Sacrifice: Love that Covers” (Genesis 3:21)

· “Not My Will” (Luke 22:39-46)

o The Struggle of Surrender (vv. 39-42)

o The Power of Prayer (vv. 41-44)

o The Cost of Obedience (vv. 44-46)

Introduction

· Romans 12:1-2

· Today, we gather around one of the most transformative calls in all of Scripture, a call not to a moment, but to a lifestyle. In Romans 12:1-2, the Apostle Paul did not ask us to simply believe something or feel something. He urges us to become something: living sacrifices.

· “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice, the kind he will find acceptable. This is the way to worship him. Do not copy the behavior and customs of this world but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good, pleasing, and perfect.

· This is not language of convenience. It is the language of consecration. Paul is painting a picture of a life laid down, not on a literal altar of stone, but on the altar of daily obedience, surrender, and worship.

· In the Old Testament, sacrifices were placed on the altar and consumed by fire. But Paul flips the script: we are to be living sacrifices. That means we stay on the altar, not just once, but every day. Not just in church, but in our homes, our workplaces, our relationships, our decisions.