Weekly Word Archives

Devotional Series

Sacrifice of Praise

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What do you usually associate with the term worship? For me it is usually singing hymns and praying at the beginning of church. In fact, we call the church service the “Worship Service.” Obviously, worship is more than three hymns and a couple of prayers before the preacher gets up to speak. It is a lot more! Romans 12:1 presents a much broader definition of worship:

“I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God; present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

In examining this familiar yet powerful verse, three points stand out to me. First, Paul is exhorting us to do something by appealing to our sense of gratitude toward God. We see this in the phrase “by the mercies of God.” In other words, As Paul had laid out for us so clearly and powerfully in the first 11 chapters of Romans, we have an overwhelming basis to do what is being asked because of all that God has done for us. Paul reinforces that idea in the end of the verse saying, “which is your spiritual service of worship.” The phrase spiritual service literally means reasonable or logical. The idea being it is only reasonable that we would respond to God in this way.

The second point I want to draw to your attention is what we are being exhorted to do (because of God’s mercies). Paul tells us to present it all! To give or present ourselves completely to God “as a living and holy sacrifice.”

What is the idea of a sacrifice? In the book of Leviticus God inaugurated an extensive system of sacrifices with very detailed and strict guidelines. The offerings or sacrifices God required were of great practical and economic value to those who gave them. For most, I’m sure it was a significant “sacrifice.” These offerings were also significant in what they represent. They were presented to God to atone for sin and to thank God for His mercy and lovingkindness. Of course, this “shadow” of Christ’s sacrifice was and is a very graphic reminder of the gravity and cost of sin.

Back to our passage in Romans 12:1, we are exhorted to present ourselves to God as “a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God…” I believe this idea (“holy sacrifice, acceptable to God”) goes back to the strict requirements for these sacrificial offerings (e. g. What was offered, how it was offered, etc.) Israel was not to approach this sacrifice nonchalantly. In fact, there was to be tremendous respect, even fear toward God. In Leviticus 10 we have the sobering account of Aaron’s sons who did not approach their duty as priests with proper reverence. They were consumed by fire at the altar before God. Moses told a grieving Aaron, “It is what the Lord spoke, saying, ’By those who come near to Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honored.’”

David also understood the significance of our sacrifice to God when he was asked by God to build an altar to the Lord. His duty required the acquisition of some property. The owner of the property offered it to David as a gift. David refused saying, “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.” Likewise, I believe the message of Paul in Romans 12:1 is we are to present our very best to God--sacrificially.

The third point I want to make concerning our text in Romans 12:1 is the phrase “spiritual service of worship.” I believe the idea here is worship is not just something I do Sunday morning before the preacher gets up to preach. Worship involves my whole life! It is everything I do—that is if I want it to be. Whether or not my life is an act of worship depends on my motives and my attitude. I believe Paul’s point is that our entire life should be an expression of worship to God.

We also see this idea in Hebrews 13:15, “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God; that is the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name, and do not neglect doing good and sharing for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”

All that I do should reflect a heart of gratitude to God, and service to people as unto the Lord. It is consistent with the great commandment—that we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Here again, my love for God involves every aspect of my being, and is another way I can worship God!