God Wants The Whole You
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship.”
Romans 12:1
One of the most recurring questions that Christians ponder is, “What does God want out of me?” We are often confused by pointed sermons, one week on this subject and the next week on another. Fine points fly through the air like darts and pierce our hearts making list after list of things to do. We often become overwhelmed and confused and don’t know what to do.
In the Old Testament, sacrifices were made daily. You could go out, offer your sacrifice, and get on with your day. You checked it off your list of important things to do and you were on your way for the rest of the day. We like that. We like checking something off the list and feeling like it is accomplished, freeing us to move on to other things.
But, look again at the verse above. This walk we have with God under the New Covenant is different. We do not go out and secure a sacrifice and be done with it. We are the sacrifice, and in the picture, we are to lay ourselves on the altar of God every minute and ever hour of our lives. It is not something that is done so we can move on to other things. It is the only thing we have to do!
Unlike the Old Testament sacrifices where the sacrifice was made and life went on as usual, the Christian walk is one where the sacrifice of ourselves is made and it is a life response of life-filled worship back to Him.
These “altared” living bodies, while on the altar and being sacrificed, are moving through the community and doing good; just as Jesus did. They are serving others, sharing God and His ways, and demonstrating their faith and its responses in their lives.
Christianity is not a “get it done and get it over” expression of life. God wants the whole you. He wants every thought and action, every moment and every hour.
So, as we lay ourselves before Him, we do so with a freedom from the guilt of our sinfulness, knowing that His saving power is working in our lives and we are His. Praise be to Him. “Here I am Lord, send me.”