No More Dead Stuff
- I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
- And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:1-2
The Living versus the Dead
The Old Testament sacrificial system focused on two things: the making of the substitutionary offering, and also giving the life of something in order to compensate for the sins of another. In other words, every sacrifice was made to pay a debt owed by the person making the offering. That innocent substitute was taking on both the guilt and the penalty for a wrong that someone else committed. Here is the irony of the matter. Regardless of how many offerings, the person committing the wrong had to continue to make such sacrifices by reason of continued sin. This led to the innocent slaughter of hundreds of thousands of animals every single year. Every Sabbath, every new moon, every Passover, every ceremony of the First Fruits, and every gathering of God’s people the lambs, goats, and cattle were killed in order to make an atonement.
To add to that endless slaughter of animals, the priests who ministered and presided over the sacrificial ceremonies, were also required to bring their offerings for their personal sin. They themselves had to make payment for their sins. These holy individuals were required to present the blood of the sacrifices in order for their sins to be pardoned. Sadly, due to the continuous flow of sacrificial blood, the payment was made in part but not in full. So the offerings had to keep coming. The shedding of blood had to keep occurring. People, including their religious leaders, had to bring the sacrifices in a constant effort to find favor with God and forgiveness. Then one day, something miraculously happened. There was a cry made in the wilderness, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” John the Baptist had signaled to the world that the perfect gift had officially come to fulfill the requirements of the entire sacrificial system. This Lamb of God would die, and through His substitutionary death, God would pardon all sin for all time for all people. O what a gift! In a later statement, John the Gospel writer issued another utterance about that same Lamb in Revelation 5 as he looked for someone who would take ownership of the Book of Life. John looked and he saw a Lamb as though He had been slain, standing in the midst of the elders … and one of the elders cried,” the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the Book and loose its seven seals.” While the meaning of the Sacrifice of Jesus is beyond all human comprehension, there is one thing that is made perfectly clear. When Jesus was offered as the Lamb of God, He paid the price in full. There is even greater news. That same Lamb of God, Jesus did not remain dead, He rose as our Justifier before God and our High Priest forever. We now can join with the mighty host of Heaven and proclaim, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain and has redeemed us unto God by Your Blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. Rev. 5:9. Thank God for His Unspeakable Gift!
With the offering of God’s Perfect Lamb, no one and no other thing had to die as a holy sacrifice. Here is the problem or should I say need. First, Jesus death, burial, and resurrection has totally paid our debt, yet people are still sinning. The need is that we cease from sin. With that need, the only solution is to turn to God. If we say that we have no sin, we make God a liar and His truth is not in us. Does that mean that Jesus must die continuously? Absolutely not. His sacrifice was perfect and His Atonement perfectly pleased God Almighty. There is no more dying that is required. What is now required is for redeemed people to learn how to live in the Spirit instead of the flesh. God is no longer accepting dead stuff, but He is now requiring a “living sacrifice.”
The second need is that people offer something to God as means of expressing love and gratitude for His gift. Yes, Jesus has paid it all but does that mean that we offer God nothing of our own life? The answer is a resounding, No. We do and we must offer something to God and that something is our life. While Paul reminds us that the sacrificial system has now been set aside, real Christian service has just begun. I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. God now wants you alive with love for Him. God now wants you alive and doing the things you were created to do. God Almighty now wants you alive with His Joy, His Kindness, and His Power to help a world that is in need. Yes, God wants your body as a living sacrifice and that means, “no more dead stuff.” Paul’s urgent request is a rallying call for heart-felt service to our Amazing God. You are alive now in Christ – so get rid of the dead works of the flesh.
There is a third need that is absolutely incredible and goes far beyond anything the Old Testament offerings could provide. While the old sacrificial system was based on finding forgiveness for transgressions, there was a need for fellowship with God. The Greek word for ‘fellowship’ means to share in partnership. To remain inactive and unresponsive to God would forfeit that fellowship and waste the wonderful sacrifice that Jesus has made to bring us into complete communion with His Father. This is why it is absolutely critical for everyone to seek forgiveness through Jesus Christ. He is the Only One that can offer both pardon and also the very presence of God. Jesus ushers every believer into an “Immanuel Experience” of joyful fellowship with the Lord. That is why Paul pleaded so urgently for every Christian to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. The new life in God has just begun. That means no more dead stuff, but just real living in The Holy Spirit.
Evidence of Dead Stuff
If something is dead or lifeless, that means it has become useless. There are things that people have allowed in their lives that has caused them to continue to try to do things to please God and find forgiveness. If you are constantly under the pressures of a guilty conscious or feel the need that you “do something for God to accept you” that is evidence of ‘dead stuff religion.’ How many times to you need to read John 3:16 to finally figure out that God loved you already. He loved everyone in the entire world. So the world and everyone in it needs to stop trying to convince God to like them. That is dead stuff. For God so loved the world (past tense) that He gave His Only Begotten Son (past tense) that whoever believes in Him (present tense) should not perish, but have everlasting life (future tense). So please stop coming to Church under the load of guilt – and start coming to Church to give yourself to the Lord in worship.
Not only are the dead things lifeless and are a waste of precious time, they are also a reminder of our old sinful ways. For that reason, Paul is calling on all believers into the new life with God. I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Under the Old Testament offerings, people had to confess the same sins because they were never able to break free from the bondage of self. Sadly, some of the same dead stuff dominates the lives of people today. Rather than discovering what it means to be a living sacrifice, some are stuck in their old way of thinking. I call it the dead stuff of selfish attitudes. One notorious mindset is the “me first mentality.” Rather than loving Jesus and serving Him, many are in a competitive mode of trying to outdo everybody else. Believe it or not, there are folks who pride themselves in being spiritual. Paul went on to say that they measure themselves by themselves … such boasting is not good. Oh, what joy it would bring if people would just simply give themselves to God and not worry about who is first and who is ahead. I’ve got news for you; God does not want your dead works. What God does want is for a people to give Him the glory and praise and to be glad to be in God’s service one more time.
Paul mentions something else that can lead to dead stuff. If we allow ourselves to be forced into the world’s mold and still think that we are serving God, that will cause our service to be nothing more than dead stuff. Paul gives a second rallying call and this time it is away from worldliness. Be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. There are Christians who use the name Christian, but they will attach something to modify their faith. Such use of labels along with Christian is the same as mixing Jesus with the world. People say they are a conservative Christian. Others say they are a liberal Christian. Some say they are a Baptist Christian while others say they are Pentecostals, Methodist, Lutherans, Catholic, or Episcopalian. In Heaven, there is only one kind of Christian: saved. If we use these modifiers, the only thing we are doing is trying to give God dead stuff. The fact that you want to justify what you are doing with a modifier is that you have not given up your old sinful ways. Here is the news flash: God does not want your dead stuff. God wants you to be transformed (changed) and your mind renewed by the Spirit, in order that you will know what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Do yourself a favor and get rid of the dead stuff.
While the dead stuff list could go on and on, we should be reminded that God is looking for one thing: you. Your Amazing God loves you so much that He wants to be with you in life and to help you to accomplish His Will. You no longer have to prove anything to anyone else. You simply need to say “Yes” to God’s Will. This will mean that your mind must be changed to that of God’s chosen rather than someone who can’t get it right with God. Those who are still operating under the consciousness of sin, have never gotten to the place of accepting God’s full forgiveness and new life offer. These are people with a victim approach of trying to get God’s attention. Such people are forever coming to God and begging Him to do something to remedy their need. Well, the Lord already knows about your need and what He needs you to do is to stop whining your way to Heaven. Who knows if that trial you are facing is not sent to strengthen your faith. Those situations that are getting on your nerves are supposed to put you on pins and needles until you respond and move forward in your faith. If you are going to be that believer who presents their body a living sacrifice, you must understand that doing so means responding under pressure as well as under pleasant conditions. Things are going to get challenging sometimes, but that is okay because God is with you every step of the way.
The Confederate General Robert E. Lee was said to be a devout Christian. Some would ask how he could claim to have strong faith and yet support slavery. Well, General Lee is like the rest of us, we are all faced with the constant pressure of sin. Near the close of the war, the General was attending worship services at the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia. As usual in the South, the communion was served to the whites and then to slaves who were in attendance in the balcony area of the Church. On this particular Sunday in 1865, the minister was about to administer the sacraments when a well dressed black man came forward and knelt at the altar for communion. The entire congregation was shocked and no one moved. Then after a lengthy pause, the General proceeded to the kneeling rail and got on his knees in order to receive the rites of sacrament. Some in the audience saw General Lee’s actions as a gesture to draw attention away from the interruption in the service. Dr. Billy Graham gave this as an illustration that the “ground is always level at the foot of the cross.” The truth is, no one really knows what was on Robert E. Lee’s mind that Sunday. But here is what it represented. Robert E. Lee, for what ever reason, did not allow anything to keep him from presenting his body as a living sacrifice to God. He simply came, knelt, and received God’s offer. That was a live act of faith. One thing for sure, Paul did not say we had to be perfect to present our bodies. He did say that we would learn what was perfect. I think the good General did the right thing.
Keeping Your Stuff Alive
Sometimes we wonder why some Church folk act dead in their worship. The reason is simple, they are not really connected to the life source in Christ. I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Unless we, as believers, respond to God by presenting our bodies, the deadness will always be a problem. This wonderful verse gives us three ways we can keep our offering alive unto God.
First, we must have the right motivation to prompt us. The Apostle Paul credits the Mercies of God as the greatest motivator. Simply reflect on how kind and merciful God has been. Simply remember all the gifts that God has lavished on you. Some are not aware of the fact that God spared no expense when it came to giving us His very best. Should we spare any expense in responding to Him? In other words, if you know how good God has been to you, then be good for God. He is not asking you to give what you do not have. Nor is God asking you to give what is not in your ability to give. You can give Him your body. After all, there have been a lot of things you gave your body to that were ungodly. Now it is time to give God what you have. If you don’t give, then you will continue live a life of dead works before the Lord.
Second, we must have the right obligation. Obligate your body. How? Obligate your body as a living sacrifice. It is given to God, but it is also kept alive by God. Simply put, all God wants you to do is live for Him. It is really a “fixed deal” for the simple fact that what you are giving already belongs to Him anyway. In the context, you and I are simply “dedicating our bodies” to the Lord’s service. He will supply all the resources needed to fulfill everything else. This is the offering of obedience as well as dependence on God.
Lastly, we must have the right reason for celebration in mind. We get excited and we praise God when He gives us things. We love it. All this verse ask is for you to get excited and praise God when you give Him yourself. Why not? God is going to always treat you right. So rejoice Christian and give Him your body as a pleasing sacrifice. Amen.