Daily Nuggets of Grace Part 7: Fruitful! Chikamu

Become a Living Sacrifice

Do you want to be an even more fruitful disciple? I hope your answer's yes! If so, the apostle Paul has something for you that sums up everything we've discovered this week. It's an invitation to become a "living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1).

Have you ever been willing to sacrifice everything?

My first two attempts at caring for my kids had ended badly. The first attempt ended in an emergency hospital trip. The other ended with my 12-month-old being returned by a neighbor, having somehow escaped the house without me noticing.

But this time was much worse. I properly lost one of them. Sprinting around our village in growing, heart-pounding fear, praying desperately, and with a police helicopter searching from above, I became convinced of two things. Firstly, I was helpless. Secondly, I was ready to sacrifice anything to see my son again.

Paul spends 11 chapters laying it all out for the Romans, explaining God's awesome redemptive plan for the lost and what it means to be rescued from sin and death. Perhaps, like you, they were thinking, "Yes, Lord, amen, count me in! What can I do? Make me more fruitful for Your kingdom!"

And so, in Romans 12, he pivots to how we can respond: the only reasonable response to such fantastic grace is to offer ourselves as a "living sacrifice."

He isn't talking about Old Testament-style offerings designed to make up for something wrong. Jesus has covered that (Hebrews 10). Instead, Romans 12 urges us to respond to a radical reality check that had been explained. Jesus has already made the ultimate sacrifice, and we have already died and risen with Him (Romans 6).

That means we have a whole new identity, a newness of life, and nothing else is worth living for. Coming to that realization, we'll experience the fruit He wants for us: renewal, transformation, knowing His will, and living a life of love (Romans 12).

We don’t become more fruitful by trying harder. We become fruitful by responding to his amazing grace, by offering ourselves as a living sacrifice.

Reflect and Respond

Praise God, my son was found that day. For an agonizing moment, though, I glimpsed the extent of a father's love for the lost. How much more our Father God loves us! How do you respond to the call to be a living sacrifice?

Pray

Lord, forgive me for holding back. Thank You. I am Yours, and You are mine. I choose to offer my body as a living sacrifice, enjoy the fruit You offer me, and embrace the fruit You want me to bear. Amen.

If you enjoyed this reading plan, you’ll love the Grace Course. It will help you connect with the grace of God in your heart, not just your head. You can check it out here.