All In For God

“…present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” – Romans 12:1

Paul’s words in Romans 12:1 call us to a radical yet reasonable response: “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” In the Old Testament, sacrifices were dead offerings placed upon the altar, but now we are the temple of the living God, and our sacrifice is our very lives. To live as a sacrifice means complete obedience and total commitment to Him. As missionary C.T. Studd once said, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” This is not extraordinary service—it is simply the least we can do in light of His mercies.

Paul explains that this “reasonable service” can also be understood as “spiritual worship.” As believer-priests, we no longer bring the bodies of animals, but we enter God’s presence with yielded hearts and surrendered wills. Our worship is expressed through praise, as Hebrews 13:15 says, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” It is expressed through service, as Paul ministered the gospel to the Gentiles (Romans 15:16), and through generosity, as Hebrews 13:16 reminds us that sharing with others pleases God. Every act of surrender becomes sacred service, flowing out of the mercies we have received.

The greatest examples of living sacrifice are found in Scripture. Isaac willingly placed himself on the altar, yielding his will to God through obedience to his father Abraham. Though God provided a ram in his place, Isaac still died to self in that moment. Jesus, however, is the perfect example. He not only yielded His will but gave His life in obedience to the Father, and even now He intercedes for us as our High Priest, bearing the scars of His sacrifice. Living as a sacrifice means yielding our will to God daily. This is our reasonable service, the least we can do in response to His immense love and mercy. As we surrender, we discover His will, and in that surrender we find true life.

“The presenting of ourselves unto God is that which he requires; and this is the foundation of all holy obedience. For unless a man first give himself unto the Lord, all other offerings will be rejected.” – John Owen