Connect Micah 6:6 with Romans 12:1 on living sacrifices. Setting the Scene “ ‘With what shall I come before the LORD when I bow before the high God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?’ ” (Micah 6:6) • Micah poses the worshiper’s question: “What does God really want from me?” • Animal sacrifices were the most valuable gifts an Israelite could imagine, yet the question hints that even costly offerings might miss the point. God’s Desired Offering • Micah quickly answers his own question in 6:8—God seeks justice, mercy, and humble fellowship, not mere ritual. • Psalm 51:16-17 echoes it: “You do not delight in sacrifice… The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.” • This is not a dismissal of sacrifice but a call to understand its true purpose: a surrendered heart. Shift to the New Covenant “Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” (Romans 12:1) • Paul picks up Micah’s theme and moves it forward. • Because Jesus fulfilled every sacrificial shadow (Hebrews 10:10), believers no longer bring dead animals; we bring ourselves—alive, breathing, wholly yielded. • The worshiper is now both priest and sacrifice (1 Peter 2:5). What Makes a Sacrifice “Living”? • Continuous—offered every moment, not just in a temple courtyard. • Voluntary—presented freely out of gratitude for God’s mercy. • Holy—set apart from sin, devoted to God’s purposes. • Pleasing—aligned with His revealed will, not self-defined piety. Daily Marks of a Life on the Altar • Mind renewal (Romans 12:2) • Obedience in the ordinary (Colossians 3:17) • Stewardship of body and health (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) • Sacrificial love for others (Ephesians 5:2) • Joyful service in the local church (Romans 12:4-8) Putting Micah and Paul Together • Micah corrects the instinct to buy God’s favor with external gifts. • Paul completes the picture: God has already shown mercy; therefore, give Him all you are. • The burnt offering consumed the whole animal—Romans 12:1 calls for the whole person, mind, will, emotions, and body, yielded under the lordship of Christ. Encouragement to Persevere • Presenting yourself is a once-for-all decision and an everyday practice (Luke 9:23). • The same mercy that motivates you also empowers you (Philippians 2:13). • As living sacrifices, believers display the gospel’s transforming power to a watching world (Matthew 5:16). |
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