Consecration

Romans 12.1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship."

Sacrifices on the altar seem a bit foreign to us today, even for those raised up in the church and have read and heard Bible stories since childhood. Altars are unfamiliar territory. This particular verse in Romans 12.1 gives us 2 pictures in which we gain great insight into our service to the Lord. The first picture is that of a burnt offering. In Old Testament times, the sinner would bring an animal to sacrifice. Through laying hands upon the animal, sins were symbolically transferred from the person to the animal. After killing the animal, the fat portions were placed upon the altar and set ablaze as a sin offering to the Lord. Romans 12.1 is different, in that, the sacrifice is not killed, but laid upon the altar alive. It is symbolic of our giving the Lord our entire being, not withholding anything from God. The verse begins with "therefore in view of God's mercy..." The people Paul is writing to are already saved. They have put their trust in God's offer of salvation through Jesus. Romans 12.1 then is what follows - our willingness to give God our all.

Numbers 8 presents another offering called the Wave Offering. The Wave Offering gives us insight into Romans 12.1-2. In the Wave Offering, the Levites were called out from the rest of Israel, hands laid upon them by the people who in turn laid hands upon 2 bulls. Then they went before the priests who sacrificed the animals and presented the Levites as a Wave Offering. The Priests would lay hands upon the Levites and move them back and forth. In this offering, that which was offered is presented to the Lord and then given back to the presenter. At that point they were consecrated before the Lord and ready for acts of service.

Romans 12.1 presents a Wave Offering. People who have put their faith in Jesus for their salvation from sins, but now are called out from the many to serve the Lord and His church. The sequence is important. Salvation comes first, then consecration, then acts of service. Paul is calling believers out who will move beyond their salvation and offer themselves as living sacrifices. The Lord sees and accepts the offering, and then gives their life back, that they may serve God.

It takes someone who has a heart for God and is sold out to the Lord. Trusting God for everything, they present themselves first to the Lord, and then, when given their life back, they begin to serve the Lord with their entire life. This affects how we view things. We were already on the altar. Our life has hung in the balance. We no longer live, but it is Christ who lives in us. Therefore, we are the hands and feet of Christ. We are his eyes, ears and voice proclaiming the good news that salvation has come. Paul envisioned a church full of consecrated believers, who are a royal priesthood, who serve the Lord all their days. My question to you is this: have you offered yourself to the Lord as a living sacrifice? If not, what is holding you back? If you have, may you perform acts of service in His grace, love and strength. And may God be praised.

Blessings,
Pastor Pete