I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      Under the Law of Moses, the work of the priests was largely a business of death as they conducted the unending sacrifices of the flesh and blood of animals on the altar of God.

B.      Under the Law of Christ, all Christians are priests (1Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:6), but our business is life.  We have the hope of eternal life in Christ Jesus (Rom. 6:23), and as a result, we are to live in the flesh as living sacrifices to God.

II.      THE MEANING OF SACRIFICE

A.      A sacrifice is an offering made to God as an act of homage or propitiation.

                                                             1.      Of course, many sacrifices have been made to idols and false deities.  However, as believers in the God of the Bible, let us now consider only sacrifices made to the true and living God.

                                                             2.      Sacrifices of homage are offered to God as expressions of respect, reverence, love, fear, gratitude, praise, and honor.  Examples can be seen in Genesis 4:3-5; 8:20; Leviticus 3; Numbers 28:1-8.

                                                             3.      Sacrifices of propitiation are offered to God as atonement for sins.

a.       Under the Law of Moses, the offering of burnt animals was given for forgiveness of sins (Lev. 4:1-6:7, 24-7:10).  These sacrifices could not take away sin, but they were effective for forgiveness to Israel until Christ came (Heb. 10:1-14).

b.       When Christ came, He became the atoning sacrifice and "the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (1John 2:2).

B.      For a sacrifice to be pleasing to God, it must be of value to the one who makes the sacrifice.

                                                             1.      In the Law of Moses, God required the children of Israel to offer only those animals that were without defect (Lev. 22:19-20).  These were the animals that had the greatest value to their owners rather than the sick, blind, or lame.

                                                             2.      God required the best of Israel’s livestock not because He needed them (Acts 17:25) but because a true sacrifice has to be a surrender of something prized for the sake of God.

                                                             3.      The true spirit of sacrifice is seen in David, for when Araunah freely offered his threshing floor, his wood, and his oxen for David’s sacrifices, David replied, "No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing” (2Sam. 24:24).

                                                             4.      The greatest example of sacrifice is that of Christ’s death, which was God’s offering of love for the sake of every sinner (John 3:16; Rom. 5:6-8; 1John 3:16).  God’s sacrifice of His own Son for us shows us how much He was willing to give for us, for "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”

III.   HOW TO LIVE AS A SACRIFICE

A.      The sacrifices of the Old Testament were almost exclusively given in death, but under the New Testament of Christ, Christians are to be living sacrifices to God.

                                                             1.      The reasonable response to the gospel of Christ for believers is to become living sacrifices.

a.       After expounding upon the doctrine of the gospel in the first eleven chapters of Romans, Paul gave this conclusive direction in Romans 12:1 – "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

b.       Naturally, after learning of God’s great gift of salvation to us, we should want to give service to God in return with love and gratitude.

                                                             2.      Just as the apostles of Jesus pledged to die for the Lord (John 11:16), and they and many other have been killed in His service, it is possible that we may also suffer death for His name.  However, the calling of Christ to every Christian is to live for Him.  Consider Romans 14:7-8:

For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

B.      Whereas the way of becoming a dying sacrifice is obvious, the way of becoming a living sacrifice may not be as clear.  Therefore, let us consider some instructions to help us live as sacrifices.

                                                             1.      Consider again Romans 12:1, and notice verse 2 also:

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

a.       The first lesson to learn is that living as a sacrifice to God is a "spiritual service of worship.”  By service, we submit to our Lord and Master ("you are slaves of the one whom you obey” – Rom. 6:16), and by worship, we show our adoration for Him.

b.       The second lesson to learn is that we must change for the sake of the Lord.  Rather than fitting to the mold of the world, we must be shaped by doing God’s will.

                                                             2.      In Romans 6:1-18, we are told how the symbolism of baptism must translate into real service to God.

a.       Our immersion into water in Christ’s name is a spiritual immersion into His death, which is followed in the likeness of His physical resurrection by a spiritual resurrection of our own.  The result is that "we too might walk in newness of life” (v. 4).

b.       That "newness of life” is a departure from (death to) our former ways of sin and a conversion to the ways of righteousness.  Verse 13 says to "present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”

c.        As living sacrifices to God, we are no longer to be mastered by sin, but our new master is God Himself, who is served in righteousness and obedience (vv. 16-18).

                                                             3.      Several passages of Scripture tell us that our very lives must be completely motivated and directed by Christ.  Consider these passages:

a.       2Corinthians 5:14-15 – For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

i.         When Jesus died for sinners, those who have faith in Him vicariously died with Him so that their old lives of sin were put away.

ii.        Although we died in this way, we still live in this world, so we must live for Him who gave all for us.  Such a life for Jesus is a living sacrifice.

b.       Galatians 2:20 – "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

i.         These were Paul’s words to Peter when Peter was carried away in hypocrisy by the Jews.  Paul showed that life in the flesh was no longer about worldly distinctions (such as Jew versus Gentile), but rather it was only about Christ.

ii.        Here we find the wonderful concept of "Christ lives in me.”  This is the motto of a life that has been surrendered to the Lord as a living sacrifice.

c.        Philippians 1:21 – For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

i.         This was the theme of Paul’s life after converting to Christ.  Everything in his life was for Christ.  This is the essence of a living sacrifice.

ii.        Notice that his reward for living as a sacrifice came at death (see 2Tim. 4:7-8).

d.       Colossians 3:3-4 – For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

i.         This passage has the same meaning as Philippians 1:21, but in Colossians it is clear that all Christians are to share Paul’s theme of life.  Christ is our life.

ii.        Like Paul, we know that our reward will come when life on earth has ended, for when Christ is revealed, then we will be revealed with Him in glory.

IV.    CONCLUSION

A.      Because God has made a sacrifice of propitiation "once for all” by the death of Christ (Heb. 9:12, 26-28; 10:10, 12, 14), we do not need to offer sacrifices for our sins.  Our living sacrifices are not about atonement for sins.  We cannot sacrifice our way to salvation, nor do we need to do so.

B.      However, we offer our living sacrifices in homage as expressions of respect, reverence, love, fear, gratitude, praise, and honor to the Lord.

C.      Just as God gave His very best for our sake when He sacrificed His only begotten Son, so also we must give our very best to God by sacrificing our lives in service to Him every moment of our lives.