Read: Romans 12:1-2
Present your bodies as a living sacrifice. (v. 1)
The congregation was enthusiastically singing I Surrender All. Then our pastor observed that if we were being honest, most of us would have to change the words a bit and sing “I surrender most” or even “I surrender some.” Unfortunately, he was right. God does not call us to surrender only part of ourselves to him. He calls for complete surrender.
Another way to look at this idea of full surrender is through Paul’s words in the passage we read today. The term “living sacrifice” is a powerful appeal and somewhat of an ominous expression at first glance. As Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth explains, though, it simply means to offer our bodies as a “complete presentation of ourselves to God.” It means that we devote ourselves to him with all willingness.
This encompasses every aspect of our lives. It is rendering to God all that we are and all that we have. True surrender doesn’t just pick and choose those parts of ourselves that we feel like giving him. He wants all of us, not just a portion of our lives, not a small fragment of our time, not merely a fraction of our possessions.
Selective surrender isn’t real surrender. If you want to be a living sacrifice, you can’t say, “Lord, you can have my heart but not my head, my voice but not my hands and feet.” You can only say, “Lord, I surrender all.”
As you pray, ask God to help you offer yourself as a living sacrifice to him.
About the Author
Jessica Heikoop was a writer and editor from Ontario, Canada. Beloved by her family and community, she died in 2013 at the age of 31.
