Offering Our Lives as Living Sacrifices

To the Saints in Christ, the Royal Priesthood,

Grace and peace be multiplied to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. As we walk this earth, awaiting the glorious return of our Savior, we are reminded time and again that our lives are not our own. We have been bought with a price, and our calling is one of sacrifice, service, and worship. As believers in Christ, we have been joined to the eternal priesthood of Jesus—a priesthood that transcends time and earth, binding us to heaven itself, making us participants in the heavenly service of God.

In the book of Revelation, we see profound images that speak to this calling: the martyrs under the altar, the prayers of the saints as incense, and the witness of the Lamb that is the testimony of Christ. These images speak to our priestly role—a role we now hold, not in a physical temple, but in the very presence of God in heaven, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to Him through Christ. As we are joined to the Lamb in His priestly office, we are called to offer our lives as living sacrifices, daily participating in the worship of God, just as the angels in heaven do, forever before His throne.

The Altar of Sacrifice: The Call to Lay Down Our Lives

In Revelation 6:9-11, we see the martyrs who have been slain for the word of God and for the testimony they held. They cry out from under the altar—a powerful image that echoes the eternal sacrifice of Christ and speaks to the sacrifice of the saints who follow Him in obedience, even unto death. This altar is not merely a place where sacrifices are made—it is where the blood of the faithful is poured out, and the witness of their faith is received as a pleasing fragrance to God. Their sacrifice, though costly, is acceptable and precious in His sight.

Just as the Aaronic priests would offer sacrifices daily in the temple, and as the angels in heaven serve God ceaselessly, we too are called to offer our lives as living sacrifices, daily surrendering our will and our desires to the service of God. Whether we live or die, our bodies and our lives are meant to demonstrate the testimony of Christ, offering ourselves to God as vessels of His glory. In Romans 12:1, Paul exhorts us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service. This is the priestly calling of every believer, whether in life or in death, to offer our lives as an act of worship, much like the martyrs under the altar who give everything for the testimony of Christ.

Prayers as Incense: The Aroma of Faithful Service

In Revelation 8:3-4, we see an angel standing at the altar with a golden censer, offering incense with the prayers of the saints before God. These prayers are described as a sweet fragrance, a pleasing aroma in the presence of God. This scene speaks to the fact that our prayers are not only heard by God but are received as a holy offering before His throne. The prayers of the saints—our prayers—are part of the heavenly priestly service we offer to God daily.

When we pray, we are not simply asking for our needs to be met; we are participating in the eternal worship of God, joining in the incense of the heavenly worship, which is never ceasing. Our prayers, like incense, rise before the throne of God, and He delights in them. Just as the incense in the temple was an offering to God, so too is our prayer life an offering of worship. And, just as the Aaronic priests served daily by offering incense in the temple, we too serve as priests in God’s temple, offering the sacrifice of praise continually through prayer, worship, and intercession.

The Testimony of the Lamb: Proclaiming the Death and Resurrection of Christ

The heart of the priestly service we offer is found in our witness of the Lamb. Revelation 12:11 reminds us that “they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” Our testimony—the proclamation of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ—is central to our priestly role on earth. It is not just an intellectual belief, but a living witness that we bear in both word and deed. This is where our works of righteousness become the fruits of the priestly life—we do not just speak of Christ, but we live for Him, offering up our works as a sacrifice to God.

When we testify to the goodness of God, when we declare the truth of the gospel, we are fulfilling our role as priests. Every act of service, every act of kindness, every expression of love is part of the priestly ministry God has called us to. When we serve the least of these, we are offering sacrifices of love, and through the Holy Spirit, our works become pleasing to God. Whether we are teaching the Word, ministering to the sick, or simply living out our faith in daily life, we are offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God (1 Peter 2:5).

Rooted and Hidden in Christ: The Source of Our Service

The priesthood of believers is rooted not in our own strength, but in the finished work of Christ. Paul tells us that we are to be rooted in Christ (Colossians 2:7), and that our lives are hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). Our ability to serve, to offer ourselves as sacrifices, to pray, and to testify is only made possible because we are in Christ—joined to Him in His priesthood. We abide in Him, just as branches abide in the vine (John 15:4-5), and it is from this union with Christ that we bear fruit.

Our service is a natural outflow of our relationship with Christ. The oil in the lamps of the wise virgins is a symbol of the Holy Spirit who enables us to serve, to live righteously, and to bear witness to the gospel. Our faithful waiting on the Lord is not passive—it is a priestly act of active service as we abide in Him and allow Him to work in us and through us.

Conclusion: A Priesthood of Service and Worship

Dear brothers and sisters, we have been called into a priesthood that is eternal and holy. This priesthood is not just a future hope but a present reality. We are called to serve daily, offering our lives as living sacrifices—whether in our prayer life, our works of service, or our witness of the Lamb. Just as the Aaronic priests offered daily sacrifices, so too we offer ourselves to God every day. Our prayers rise as incense before God, and our testimony of the Lamb is the fragrance of the gospel. Whether in life or death, we are to be living sacrifices, offering our bodies to God for His glory.

May we, like the faithful martyrs under the altar in Revelation, offer our lives for the testimony of Christ, and may our prayers be a sweet fragrance to God. Let us be diligent in our priestly service, rooted in Christ, and abiding in Him, that we might bear much fruit for the glory of God, until the day when we are welcomed into His eternal presence.

In Christ, our High Priest, we offer our lives in service, worship, and sacrifice.

With love and in service to the King.