LISTEN
NASB:
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.
NIV:
Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.
Observations:
To start the 12th chapter of Romans, the apostle Paul talks about how we are to use our bodies.
God is merciful to us, and we offer ourselves as sacrifices because of it.
We are living sacrifices — that is, as we live, we are an offering.
Offering our bodies as sacrifices is holy. It pleases God. It is also an act of worship.
Takeaways:
Recognize that God is merciful.
In view of his mercy, offer our bodies as spiritual sacrifices. That means the choices we make physically we make for the Lord, not for our own pleasure.
Our goal is to please God, and offering up our bodies does that. It is an act of worship.
