DECEMBER 8 – Reading 342

by John Pra | December 8

“ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP”
(Romans 9:1 – 12:21)

“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

The apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Rome is considered the clearest and most systematic presentation of Christian doctrine in all of Scripture. As Paul often does, he gives doctrinal truths in the first part of his letters then applies them to our daily living. We see this in Romans; for the first eleven chapters Paul gives an in-depth treatise on sin, redemption, justification, sanctification, grace, and more. Then, based on this reality, Paul makes an appeal that seems to come from the very depths of his heart.

“I urge you” comes to us with the force of a commandment. Pleading out of great love for fellow Christians – live this way! For three fourths of his letter, Paul laid out the inexhaustible blessings that we have in Christ Jesus, then says, based on these “mercies of God,” do this – “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.”

Paul’s call for us to respond to God’s great mercies was not simply to speak words of praise or sing songs of worship, but to present our whole being – body, soul, and spirit – as a living sacrifice. Whether religious Jew or pagan Gentile, they knew what it meant to offer sacrifices to their gods. They were brought to the altar alive and then killed. Paul makes clear that we come to God, through Jesus, spiritually dead and are made alive.

Animal sacrifices under the Old Testament covenant had to be chosen specifically for the offering and then set apart from the herd for that purpose to make sure they were unmarked and unharmed – acceptable to God. In Christ, we been made acceptable to God and have been set apart for his purposes. This is the life of “true and proper worship” that is the only appropriate response to His abundant mercies.

Application:

• Present Your Whole Self to God Daily – Acceptable worship begins with intentional surrender. Each morning, consciously offer your mind, body, schedule, desires, and decisions to God. This simple prayer – “Lord, I am Yours today” – places your whole being on the altar.

• Reject Half-Hearted Worship – Paul does not call us to give God our leftovers. Examine where you may be offering partial obedience or casual devotion. Ask the Holy Spirit to expose areas where comfort, convenience, or compromise have replaced wholehearted sacrifice.

• Live Set Apart in a Blurring Culture – Just as Old Testament sacrifices were chosen and set apart, believers must live distinctly in a world that blurs moral lines. Guard your eyes, words, relationships, and habits. Holiness is not isolation – but intentionally, Spirit-led distinction that reveals Christ.

Closing Prayer:
Father, in view of Your great mercy, I come before You with a grateful heart. Today I offer my body, mind, desires, and plans as an offering to You. Make my life holy and pleasing in Your sight. Teach me to worship not only with my lips, but with my life, that I might bring glory to Your name. In Christ’s name, Amen.