Yesterday my co-pastor, Doug Williams, spoke from 1 Peter 2:4-8. You can hear his message here. 
Part of the passage says that God's children "are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (5) Doug asked us to look into that matter of spiritual sacrifices and gave us some scriptures to read.*
Romans 12:1 says, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."
Paul, a converted Jewish Rabbi, was very familiar with the Old Testament sacrificial system. He had, no doubt brought a number of animals to the Temple for sacrifice, before he came to realize that all those sacrifices find their fulfillment in Christ. His burning desire became to "be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law [which included the sacrificial system], but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith." He knew that no sacrifice he could offer could secure or enhance his salvation. He did not urge the presentation of our bodies as a sacrifice to obtain mercy, but as a worshipful response to the mercies that come to us as a result of our faith in Christ (See Romans 3:21-31, 5:1-11, 10:9-13). Paul had done the calculations related to life, death, sin, forgiveness, hell and heaven. He had "concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf" (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). Based on that arithmetic one can easily see how the kind of sacrifice Romans 12:1 is urging makes perfet sense.
It is the kind of worship that involves the core of one's being--it is "Spiritual" as opposed to merely outward form of worship, like the rituals of Isaiah 1. It is accompanied with a transformed life (seeRomans 12:2).
The Fisherman Apostle tells us that part of God's purpose for His people is that we offer spiritual sacrifices. Have you, are you?
Part of the passage says that God's children "are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (5) Doug asked us to look into that matter of spiritual sacrifices and gave us some scriptures to read.*Romans 12:1 says, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."
Paul, a converted Jewish Rabbi, was very familiar with the Old Testament sacrificial system. He had, no doubt brought a number of animals to the Temple for sacrifice, before he came to realize that all those sacrifices find their fulfillment in Christ. His burning desire became to "be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law [which included the sacrificial system], but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith." He knew that no sacrifice he could offer could secure or enhance his salvation. He did not urge the presentation of our bodies as a sacrifice to obtain mercy, but as a worshipful response to the mercies that come to us as a result of our faith in Christ (See Romans 3:21-31, 5:1-11, 10:9-13). Paul had done the calculations related to life, death, sin, forgiveness, hell and heaven. He had "concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf" (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). Based on that arithmetic one can easily see how the kind of sacrifice Romans 12:1 is urging makes perfet sense.
It is the kind of worship that involves the core of one's being--it is "Spiritual" as opposed to merely outward form of worship, like the rituals of Isaiah 1. It is accompanied with a transformed life (seeRomans 12:2).
The Fisherman Apostle tells us that part of God's purpose for His people is that we offer spiritual sacrifices. Have you, are you?
It's Something to Think About.
* Romans 12:1, Hebrews 13:15-16, Philippians 4:18, Romans 15:15-16
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