A Holy Sacrifice

A holy sacrifice.  Our reading today deals a lot with sacrifices and what is acceptable to the Lord.  As we read through the text, we should ask ourselves, “how does this apply to me?”.  We are no longer to bring a sacrifice for our sin offerings or burnt offerings to the Lord, for Christ has become the Lamb Sacrifice, who was perfect and without blemish.  However, when I read the following verse, something stood out to me, “You are not to present any animal to the Lord that is blind, injured, maimed, or has a running sore, festering rash, or scabs; you may not put any of them on the altar as a fire offering to the Lord” (Leviticus 22:22).  In other words, the sacrifice that they gave to the Lord was to be holy and acceptable to the Lord, not just anything.  The applicable verse for me that came to mind was, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).  While we do not keep ourselves from sin for the purpose of saving ourselves, as Christians, we must desire to keep ourselves from sin and to do those things pleasing to God so that we might present ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God.  This is our worship, or our reasonable service to the Lord.