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Romans 12:1-2

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Romans 12:1

What does it mean to be a living sacrifice? (Lk 9:23, Mt 10:37-38, Mt 19:29, Mt 6:19-34, Phil 1:12-18, 1 Cor 9:19-22, 1 Cor 10:23-24, Jn 12:25, Mt 10:39, 1 Jn 3:16)

When you offer something as a sacrifice, it no longer belongs to you. You no longer have any rights or privileges to it.
A living sacrifice would be something akin to a slave. The life of the object being sacrificed is not intended to end, but it is intended to be devoted to the one it is sacrificed to.
Sacrifice means that the object being given has value to the one giving it.

Tell the story of Jean ValJean and the Priest

Jean ValJean was a thief who was imprisoned 14 years for stealing bread. When he was finally released, he was angry and bitter, and no one would allow him to work, until finally, a priest took him in and fed him and gave him a place to sleep.

Jean took the priests compassion and was forced to confront himself. Who would he be? And in his anger and bitterness decided that if the world had branded him a thief he would be a thief, so he got up and stole two silver candlesticks from the only man to show him compassion since he had been released from prison.

Then he got caught. And when dragged in front of the priest, the priest did something completely irrational, and told the soldiers that Jean Valjean was not only not a thief, but had left so quickly he had forgotten the best part of the gift, and gave him the last piece of Silver he owned and then told ValJean

But remember this, my brother.

See in this some higher plan.

You must use this precious silver

To become an honest man.

By the witness of the martyrs,

By the Passion and the Blood,

God has raised you out of darkness.

I have bought your soul for God.

The priests act of grace in that moment annihilated ValJeans bitterness. How could he claim that the world owed him, when the only man who had a legitimate claim against him not only forgave him, but gifted him with such riches that he was now a rich man?

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Later on in the story, ValJean is confronted with a dilemma, because He had not done what the priest had asked, he had not become an honest man. He had hidden his true identity and tried to live a different life. But he was confronted by a dilemma, because another man had been accused of his crimes, and if he did not come forward, that man would be punished in his stead.

So he goes and stands before the tribunal and argues with himself about what he should do and at the end of the song he says:

My soul belongs to God, I know

I made that bargain long ago

He gave me hope when hope was gone

He gave me strength to journey on

Who am I? Who am I?

I am Jean Valjean!

And so Javert, you see it's true

That man bears no more guilt than you!

Who am I?

24601!

So he stands up and assumes the identity that Christ gave him, and the rest of the film is about ValJean learning what it means to offer himself as a living sacrifice life

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Romans 12:1

Why is this our reasonable service?

Because our debt was significant
Because our reward is astonishing

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Romans 12:2

Will life always be miserable?

I don’t believe God wants our living sacrifice to be full of hardship, but something hardship is necessary.

Why is hardship necessary?

Sometimes the only way for someone to understand the gospel is for it to be present during our worst moments. (Mother Theresa, Elizabeth Elliot, Job, Paul)