Living sacrifice.

Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

If all of our deeds are as filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6), how can we present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him?  The answer is not found in trying harder to be a better person; it’s found in the best Person, Christ.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in our doings and forget about what Jesus has done for us.  This is especially true when we read verses that seem to imply some form of “work” on our part to be a better person.  However, this continual striving to achieve some level of acceptance before God isn’t why Christ came.  He came to give us rest (Matthew 11:28).  The rest that we have in Christ includes rest from the striving to be a “good” person.

It is His work that has made us holy and acceptable.  It isn’t our doing and it will never be our doing.  So why did Paul pen this verse?  Some may say that the Spirit inspired this scripture to keep us grounded in reality, that it’s a spiritual “gut-check” scripture.  Are you being holy?  Is what you’re doing holy?  But I say otherwise.

This scripture is a reminder to the believer, not to work harder at being a better person, but to remember who we are in Christ.  The focus here isn’t you; it’s Jesus.  Paul isn’t arguing that we should become a bunch of self-examining, introspective obsessives.  On the contrary, he is saying that we should be Jesus-focused when we come to God.

This is why Paul starts by saying, “...by the mercies of God...”.  How do we present ourselves as holy and acceptable?  It is by the mercies of God, through the cross and the finished work of Jesus Christ.  The knowledge of who Jesus is and who He has made you in Him is what you are presenting to God.  It is Christ who lives within you (Galatians 2:20).  It is Christ who has made you holy and acceptable.

When you come before God you’re not presenting yourself as if you have something to offer; you’re presenting Christ who lives within you.  You’re coming to God and saying, “Father, because of Your Son, Jesus, I am able to come before you today.  It is by His grace and mercy that I am living, powerful, strong, healthy, and prosperous.  It is because of Him that I am holy and acceptable.”

When you come to God, presenting to Him Jesus in you, He is pleased.  In the process you’re renewing your mind in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, not being conformed to this world, but realizing that you’re transformed.  This will empower you to live out the perfect will of God (Romans 12:2).