Paul stumped his readers when he said, “present your bodies as a living sacrifice” (Rom 12:1). Living sacrifice?!? It was like a green stop sign or jumbo shrimp. It made no sense. Under the Old Testament, God had a detailed sacrificial system that varied in purpose (sin or guilt), mode (slain or burnt), or disposal (eaten or burned), but they all had one thing in common: they were dead. But in the Christian sacrifice, life replaces death.

A living sacrifice equates to Christian living. There is life after baptism, and God should control it. Thus, we willingly offer our bodies—our physical lives—in Christian living.

Christian living is servant living. We serve people outside the church (1 Cor 9:19; Col 4:5), and in the church (Gal 5:13). We also serve God (Heb 9:14).

Christian living is evangelistic living. Christ came to save the lost (Luke 19:10). Living as he lived means sharing the gospel as he shared (Matt 28:19-20). Evangelism begins with actively seeking the lost.

Christian living is moral living. Jesus lived a life of perfection (Heb 4:15); an example he set for his followers (1 Pet 2:21). Living as Jesus lived means striving to live free from sin. Pure religion keeps itself unstained by the (James 1:27) and seeks to do what pleases God (James 4:17) and avoids evil when it appears (1 Thes 5:21-22).

Christian living is benevolent living. The church has never existed in where poverty did not exist. The willingness to share resources separates the saved from the lost at Judgement (Matt 25:40, 45).

Christian living is the Christian’s sacrifice. Jesus said it is “life more abundantly” (John 10:10) and “eternal life” (John 6:40, 54). Paul called it a “newness of life” (Rom 6:4), a “new creation” (2 Cor 5:7), a “new self” (Col 3:10), and a “renewal of your mind” (Rom 12:2). It is a calling to a higher purpose than mere personal pleasure. It is the quest to please God—a living sacrifice.