Reference: Romans 12:1-2
Reading the Old Testament scriptures, we can see that the worshippers of God had to offer unto the Lord the bodies of certain animals for an antonement for their sins. The fat of the animal was to be sprinkled upon the altar. These animals were to be the firstborn of a cow, or a sheep, or a goat. These animals had to be without blemish. God would not have accepted any other animal than the firstborn of the cow, or the sheep, or the goat, because those animals were considered to be holy. The Old Testament way of worship stood only in carnal ordinances until the time of reformation was brought in, which was the coming of Christ to die on the cross for the sins of mankind. When Christ came to this earth he revealed a new and living way of worship to God. The Old Testament way of worship could not make the worshippers perfect as God wanted man to be. The Bible says that there is a rememberance of sin every year with the sacrifices of the animal. It was not possible that the blood of animals could take away sin leaving the the people in a perfect state. If the Old Testament way of worship could perfect a person then there would not have been a reason to seek for another way. Since the old covenant could not perfect the worshippers, then a new covenant was brought in and was called the New Testament, or gospel. We are told by the apostle Paul that we must present our bodies unto God as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God and this is our reasonable service to do.
The presenting of our bodies to God means that we must present all our being unto him so that he can be manifested in and through our mortal flesh. The old testament saints offered unto God the bodies of animals, but we today have to offer to God our own bodies to him as a living sacrifice that is holy and acceptable in his sight. The offering of our bodies unto God is done through and by our obedience to the revealed truth that the gospel contains. The obeying of the revealed word of truth will crucify our bodies of its affections and lusts so that God can have the rule in our lives. The offering of our bodies unto God is a process that involves the whole man which consists of body, soul, and spirit. Many today confess to be a true worshipper of God, but Christ said that many honour him with their lips but their hearts are far from him. This proves that it is possible that you can only offer unto God only a part of you without giving him your entire being. To present our bodies unto God means that we must yield our body, our soul, and our spirit unto him one hundred percent or else we will be one that honours God with our mouth but failing to give our all to him as his word states. Please notice that the apostle Paul is speaking to a people that are called brethren and for them to present their bodies unto God as a living sacrifice that is holy acceptable unto him. Many think today that a confession and belief on Christ accepting him as their personal Saviour is all there is to presenting themselves unto God as this living sacrifice as the apostle Paul states in Romans 12:1-2. Paul is speaking to those that are claiming to be of Christ, but Paul knew that just to confess Christ accepting him as Lord and Saviour is not all there is to presenting your body unto God as a living sacrifice. When you repent of sin and consent to be baptized in water this only imparts the gift of the Spirit in your life so that he through the revelation of truth can reveal to you all truth that will crucify your body presenting it unto God as a living sacrifice as his word says to do. When you receive the Spirit in your heart this purfies your heart but this does not renew your mind or crucify the lusts and desires of the flesh. The receiving of truth will renew your mind and crucify the deeds of the flesh if you receive and obey it. This a process that requires time and patience. The common belief today in the denominational church is just to believe on Christ and accept him as your own personal Saviour. They think this is presenting their whole being to God but they can't be farther from the truth, because they fail to come to the knowlege of the truth as revealed in the gospel. To present your body unto God is done by the renewing of your mind so that you can know what the will of God is for your life. The receiving of the truth is what renews your mind and crucifies the lusts and fleshly desires of the flesh thus making you a new creature in Christ Jesus. The crucifying of the flesh is your abstaining from the pleasures of sin that the flesh loves. Sin is the transgression of the laws of God. You must kill out the desires of the body or else you will never know the will of God in your life. Jesus plainly says that only those who do the will of God will enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 7:21) If you fail to receive and obey the truth then you will be cut off from God and you will fall from grace. Your failing to bear fruit, as you are the branch, will cause you to be taken out of the vine, which is Christ. To bear fruit is done by your receiving the seed word of God that will eventually begin to produce the fruits of righteousness. We are told in Romans 6:11-13 to reckon ourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God through Christ Jesus our Lord and we are not to allow sin to reign in our mortal bodies that we should obey it in the lusts thereof. We are not to yield the members of our bodies as the instruments of sin, but to yield our bodies unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and our members of our body as instruments of righteousness unto God. Most confessing christians today think they can yet yield to sin and be christians too, but they are only being deceived by false prophets and teachers that are void of the truth. If a person obeys the truth of the word of God today the world will cast them out as evil. The religious world today is full of hypocrisy confessing to be of God when all the time they live in sin and fail to receive the truth of the gospel. The presenting of the body unto God as a living sacrifice will be done only by a very few because few there be that truly love God enough to obey his every word. This is why Jesus said that there would be few to find the strait and narrow way that leads to life. The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to those that believe it, but is foolishness to those that will perish. You must mortify the deeds of the flesh if you expect to inherit eternal life. We are told in Romans 8:13 that if we live after the flesh we shall die, but if we through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body then we shall live. Very few are willing to mortify the deeds of their body because it is too much of a sacrifice, but you are told to present your body unto God a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service to do. You don't have to, but if you do not, then you will not enter the kingdom of God as Jesus said in Matthew 7:21. The choice is yours to make. What will it be, my friend??