'I beseech you, by the mercies of God, that ye _present_'--which is a
technical word for a priest's action--'your bodies a living sacrifice,'
in contrast with the slaying, which was the presentation of the animal
victim. Now, that 'body' there is not equivalent to self is distinctly
seen when we notice that Paul goes on, in the very next clause, to say,
'and be transformed by the renewing of your _mind_.' So that he is
speaking, not of the self, but of the corporeal organ and instrument of
the self, when he says 'present your _bodies_ a living sacrifice.'
Of course, the central idea of sacrifice is surrender to God; and, of
course, the place where that surrender is made is the inmost self. The
will is the man, and when the will bows, dethroning self and enthroning
God, submitting to His appointments, and delighting to execute His
commandments, then the sacrifice is begun. But, inasmuch as the body is
the organ of the man's activity, the sacrifice of the will and of self
must needs come out into visibility and actuality in the aggregate of
deeds, of which the body is the organ and instrument. But there must
first of all be the surrender of my inmost self, and only then, and as
the token and outcome of that, will any external acts, however religious
they may seem to be, come into the category of sacrifice when they
express a conscious surrender of myself to God. 'The flesh profiteth
nothing,' and yet the flesh profiteth much. But here is the order that
another of the Apostles lays down: 'Yield _yourselves_ to God,' and
then, 'your members as instruments of righteousness to Him.'
To speak of the sacrifice of the body as a living sacrifice suggests
that it is not the slaying of any bodily appetite or activity that is
the true sacrifice and worship, but the hallowing of these. It is a
great deal easier, and it is sometimes necessary, to cut off the
offending right hand, to pluck out the offending right eye, or, putting
away the metaphor, to abstain rigidly from forms of activity which are
perfectly legitimate in themselves, and may be innocuous to other
people, if we find that they hurt us. But that is second best, and
though it is better in the judgment of common sense to go into life
maimed than complete to be cast into hell-fire, it is better still to go
into life symmetrical and entire, with no maiming in hand or organ. So
you do not offer the living sacrifice of the body when you annihilate,
but when you suppress, and direct, and hallow its needs, its appetites,
and its activities.
The meaning of this sacrifice is that the whole active life should be
based upon, and be the outcome of, the inward surrender of self unto
God. 'On the bells of the horses shall be written, Holiness to the Lord,
and every pot and vessel in Jerusalem shall be holy as the bowls upon
the altar'--in such picturesque and yet profound fashion did an ancient
prophet set forth the same truth that lies in this declaration of our
Apostle, that the body, the instrument of our activities, should be a
living sacrifice to God. Link all its actions with Him; let there be
conscious reference to Him in all that I do. Let foot and hand and eye
and brain work for Him, and by Him, and in constant consciousness of His
presence; suppress where necessary, direct always, appetites and
passions, and make the body the instrument of the surrendered spirit.
And then, in the measure in which we can do so, the greatest cleft and
discord in human life will be filled, and body, soul, and spirit will
harmonise and make one music of praise to God.
Ah! brethren, these bad principles have teeth to bite very close into
our daily lives. How many of us, young and old, have 'fleshly lusts
which war against the soul'? How many of you young men have no heart for
higher, purer, nobler things, because the animal in you is strong! How
many of you find that the day's activities blunt you to God! How many of
us are weakened still under that great antagonism of the flesh lusting
against the spirit, so that we cannot do the things that we would!
Sensuality, indulgence in animal propensities, yielding to the clamant
voices of the beast that is within us--these things wreck many a soul;
and some of those that are listening to me now. Let the man govern and
coerce the animal, and let God govern the man. 'I beseech you that you
yield your bodies a living sacrifice.'