Offering Oneself as a Sacrifice

Therefore I exhort you, brothers, through the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.

Romans 12:1 (LEB)

At the moment of exchanging wedding vows, instead of repeating the words spoken by the pastor, the young bride decided to summarize the entirety of the vow in a single simple sentence—a sentence that deeply moved the entire congregation. She looked the groom straight in the eye and said: "I offer myself totally to you, come what may." Even the pastor was struck by such a declaration. He asked the young bride if she understood the power of that statement. She replied: "If, in marrying, I give myself to my husband, why would that not constitute a total gift of my very being to him?"

We often hear many Christians express this same desire to offer themselves totally to God, as a living sacrifice. Yet, when we observe them, we wonder if they have truly grasped the meaning of the expression "to offer oneself." Paul gives us the reason why we must offer ourselves entirely to God: it is because of God's mercies. This means we must recognize that God saved us through the sacrifice of the cross—even though He could, in all justice, have left us to perish because of our sins. Instead of the death we so amply deserved, He granted us eternal life in Jesus Christ. Therefore, what greater thing could we possibly offer Him than our entire being?

The word "sacrifice" evokes the image of animals offered to God upon an altar. The animal was entirely consecrated to God; He alone determined the manner in which the sacrifice was to be presented to Him. This is precisely what Paul reminds us of in this verse. To offer oneself as a sacrifice to God means consecrating everything we are—our being in its totality: body, soul, and spirit—to His service. It is He alone who determines the manner in which we are to serve Him, and whether we must endure suffering for a time. Serving God should represent a total surrender to His will and a complete submission to His Word. If God has saved you, it is precisely for this purpose; therefore, be the sacrifice that is pleasing to Him—the sacrifice that reflects His glory in the eyes of the whole world.

May God's grace and peace be with you.