Romans 12:1-2: What is Worship?

Romans 12:1.. "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodiesas a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."

What is worship? Oftentimes in our Christian circles we use "worship" to define what we do when we sing praises to God. However, is this how the Bible defines worship? What is an accurate biblical deffinition of worship?

Here is what I would like to propose to you today: though worship is not less than singing praises to God, it is much, much more. The Bible does not define worship as what happens when we open up our mouths and sing to a melody, but rather what happens when we open up our lives to be used for God's purposes. True, biblical worship includes any action that, by the mercies of God, presents our bodies as acceptable living sacrifices.

Firstly, let us discuss what a living sacrifice is. I heard it put beautifully by a pastor a few years ago. Consider the story of God commanding Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. In that story, Isaac was the death sacrifice, but Abraham was the living sacrifice. Isaac was the one who was to give up his life for the sacrifice (SPOILER ALERT: God stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son after he saw Abraham's faith...if you haven't heard the story before.), but Abraham was the living sacrifice who had to sacrifice his desires. Thus, a living sacrifice is a sacrifice that does not give up one's life, but rather one's desires, to the Lord. A living sacrifice may not shed phyisical blood, but it does require one to sacrifice what he wants for what the Lord wants. It requires that one give up all that he has in order to follow the Lord's will for his life, whatever that may be.

Secondly, let us discuss what an acceptable sacrifice is. In Genesis 4, we get a beautiful example of the contrast between an acceptable and an unacceptable sacrifice. Remember the story of Cain and Able? Why was Abel's sacrifice accepted, but not Cain's? Ultimately becaus Cain did not "do well" (Genesis 4:7). Abel did well by sacrificing his firstfruits, but Cain failed to do well because he did not offer up to God his firstfruits. In respect to living sacrifices, then, we can consider an acceptable living sacrifice as one that "does well," that is, a sacrifice that is truly a sacrifice. God will not accept our living sacrifices if they do not cause us to give up something we want for ourselves for something he wants for us. Our sacrifices will not be acceptable if they are not sincere. Remember, God is about the heart.

But what are some practical living sacrifices? Well, if only Paul told us. Oh wait, he does. The entirety of Romans 12-16 are all about practical commands that we can live out for God, or in other words, ways that we can be living sacrifices.

So, hows your worship? Or, in other words, how are you doing presenting you body as an acceptable, living sacrifice unto the Lord? Are you giving up your desires, your time, your relationships, and your priorities to God? Or are you choosing to do what Cain did by not giving your all to him? I encourage you, brother, to present yourself as a living sacrifice--for this is your spiritual worship. Amen.