Bible Study Seattle

“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.” Romans 12:1
“you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5

What is a living sacrifice? It is a sacrifice God desires which doesn’t kill us. We are not to seek martyrdom. Many of us make sacrifices all the time. Maybe something as simple as forgoing a baseball game to volunteer somewhere. Or waking in the middle of the night to comfort a sick child. Or giving time to preach the gospel in a faraway land. Paul was willing to endure hunger, beatings, and prison for spreading the Good News. On a lesser scale, some endure insults or mistreatment by others, not paying back evil.

Earl Palmer liked to say that Jesus absorbed all our sin. That is the essence of sacrifice. It absorbs sin. And ultimately, these temporary sacrifices or pains will be repaid by God several fold (in the next life). Sacrifices are merely temporary setbacks for future blessing. More sacrifice = more blessing. In this way Jesus will be the richest of them all.