ESOCS Devotional 12 September 2025 – A Living Sacrifice
MEMORY VERSE: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 13:2 KJV
TEXT: ROMANS 12:1-8
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
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God Himself gave the world for the remission of sins – His beloved Son – Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who bore our sins and punishment. Now for all who have been saved by grace through faith our response to God’s tender mercies is to become a living sacrifice.
A Willing Sacrifice: Just as Christ Jesus willingly submitted to the Father’s plan by becoming the perfect sacrifice for us (Philippians 2:8), we are to make a conscious decision in willing surrender of ourselves to the Father’s will.
A Holy Sacrifice: Our God is holy and He expects His children to be holy. God’s standards of holiness required Christ, the Passover Lamb without spot or blemish (1 Peter 1:19) to be sacrificed for the atonement for the sins of mankind. Similarly, we are called to be holy, presenting ourselves as dedicated, sanctified for God’s service (1 Peter 1:16).
A Daily Sacrifice: Just as the lambs were sacrificed daily (Exod. 29:38-39), our being a sacrifice has to be a daily commitment. We are to daily forgo every desire of the self to focus on bringing glory to the Master.
A Complete Sacrifice: God the Father, in His love for us, did not withhold His only Son from us (Romans 8:32) and Christ did not consider His life of more worth than saving us. When we grasp the magnitude of our Lord’s love, we will give all that we are, presenting all our members and faculties to the Lord – to be a complete, encompassing sacrifice.
In Romans 12:2, Paul instructs us on how we can become ‘a living and holy Sacrifice’. He says, “…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” What is conformity with the world? Simply put- it is following the ways of the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). These are what draws a man away from God!
Instead, ‘Be transformed by the renewing of your mind,’ which is a believer’s transformation into Christ-likeness. Let us desire to live as transformed people with renewed minds, living in obedience to the Father’s will, offering ourselves as a living sacrifice for His service.
CHALLENGES
- What is God’s expectation of us as ‘a living and holy sacrifice’?
PRAYER POINT
- Father GOD, with a humble heart I offer myself as living and holy sacrifice, set apart for you. Mould me and use me as you will, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
FURTHER READING: 2 Samuel 19:26, Romans 11:28-36
ESOCS Devotional 12 September 2025
