Manage episode 522306963 series 3551563
The Paradox of a "Living Sacrifice"
The phrase "living sacrifice" is intentionally paradoxical. In the Old Testament, a sacrifice meant death. Paul introduces a radical concept: our offering to God is our life itself, presented alive on the altar. This means the death we experience is a daily death to self, self-will, and selfish desires. A dead sacrifice stays dead, but a living sacrifice has to choose to stay on the altar moment by moment. It's about redirecting our life—our time, energy, and resources—from our own agenda to God's purpose.
Reflection Questions
- What does "dying to self" look like in your practical, day-to-day life? Name one specific desire or preference you need to surrender today.
- If you are a "living sacrifice," you are still mobile. In what direction are your "feet" currently carrying you: toward self-gratification or toward service?
- Think about the most precious "asset" you possess (time, talent, money, reputation). How can you place that asset on God's altar as a living offering?
Further Scripture
- Luke 9:23: "Then he said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.'"
- John 12:24: "Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed; but if it dies, it produces many seeds."
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286 episodes