Present yourself as Holy.
Scripture
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. - Romans 12:1
Observation
This scripture is addressed to the saints, people who believe in Jesus and have accepted Him as their Lord and personal Saviour. What stands out to me first and foremost is the word “beseech”. Did a little digging and it means to “earnestly beg”. It’s almost as though what is about to be said in this scripture has a tone of urgency to it . The message in this scripture holds great importance and value for someone to beg you by the mercies of God. As believers we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. In the days of old, for people to access God, spotless animals had to be sacrificed.
It’s very important we also present ourselves spotless if we want to grow in proximity and have a deeper relationship with Him. Now the word “body” here isn’t just limited to your human body but your mind, will, emotions etc.
One thing I also noticed was we are to “present”. This means it requires active participation on your side . God will not force you to present yourself as a holy sacrifice . Rather you have to make that decision in your life to present yourself as holy and acceptable. This is the bare minimum we can do as followers of Jesus Christ. Finally, let’s look at the phrase“acceptable to God”. Could our sacrifices be rejected ? I mean yes if we look at the story of Cain and Abel ( Genesis 4:5). Cain’s sacrifice was rejected.
Application
Once you decide in your mind and heart you want to present yourself , He makes you Holy (John 17:17) . However you need to make the decision first to submit to Him. Presenting your body means you’re at the disposal of God. This means coming into agreement that it’s not about how you want to live your life but how He wants you to. It looks like obeying instructions He gives you. This could be in different forms (eg obeying the commands of God in the Bible). It could look like switching up the way you dress to glorify God, it could look like leaving an environment, relationship or friendship group that leads you to sin. It also could look like giving yourself over to prayers and reading the Bible so you can mature, even on the days you don’t feel like. Presenting your mind for instance looks like entertaining thoughts that are edifying and glorifying to God and casting down imaginations that exalt itself above God. Presenting your lips to God for instance could look like choosing not to gossip or backbite. It’s important we are intentional with how we live our lives every single day. Yes every single day and that’s why the Holy Spirit , is here to help us (John 14:26)
Prayer
Heavenly Father thank Your for Your word today. I pray asking for forgiveness of my sins. Where I’ve lived life on my own terms and have not yielded to You . I ask Lord that you create in me a new heart to yearn and love You more every day . Sanctify me in Your truth that I may present my body holy and pleasing to You. In Jesus name I pray Amen.