Dawn in the Desert - Part 5

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].

The born again person died to sin “in Christ” on the cross. He rose out of the tomb “in Christ” and now lives the new resurrection life “in Christ”. Christians don’t have their own righteousness. We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

What all of this means is that I can now, because I am already born again, present my body to God as a living sacrifice. You can too. We already died for our sins “in Christ” on the cross. We now live His new, righteous life because we rose out of death “in Christ”. Christ died and now lives. “In Christ” we do too. Hence we are free to live as whole burnt offerings to God.

Yes, the blood offerings were killed and remained dead. But that was the Law’s judgment on sin. In the New Covenant we are not under Law but under grace. Jesus already paid the penalty for the sins of all mankind by dying on the cross for us. He fulfilled the Law for us. In doing so God’s righteousness was upheld.

Sin demands death for its wages. But death couldn’t hold Jesus. Three days later He rose out of death in newness of life, in resurrection life. Sin and its penalty was left in the tomb. Sinners remain dead in the tomb. A new creation, eternal and without sin, came out of the tomb. Saints come out of the tomb.

Now those who are born again (aka “saints”) are alive and able to live entirely for God. We are free to do so, but we can refuse to do so. I have to willingly present my body as a “living sacrifice”, as a whole burnt offering, to God in His service. You too have the same choice to make. But do not be mistaken. No one has this choice to make until he is first born again as a new creation in Christ Jesus.

So are you born again? If not, you can become so right now. Simply look by faith to Jesus on the cross and recognize that He died for your sins there. Identify yourself on the cross with Him. This fulfills the Old Covenant part where the offerer slit the throat of his substitute offering.

Ask the Lord Jesus to forgive you for your sins, sins which led Him in love to willingly die on the cross so that you might live in Him. By faith believe He does forgive you because the Word of God teaches this is so.

Then by faith in the Word of God come out of the tomb in newness of life “in Christ”. Go forth and live the resurrection life which He freely bestows on you, no longer a slave to sin but now a willing bond slave to righteousness.

Ah, you have just presented yourself to God as a living sacrifice. Congratulations. The journey is a lifelong one and the going frequently encounters rough winds and vicious waves. But not to fret. The Lord is on your side. What can man do to you?

To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please click on the "Shop" tab at the top of this page, where you will find a complete list of my books. Each book is available in both paperback (Createspace) and eBook (Kindle).

#romans12 #sacrifice #holiness #discipleship #christianliving #burntoffering #wholeburntoffering #continualburntoffering #bronzealtar #livingsacrifice #exodus28