By Lisa Wilmore
Scripture: “I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (Romans 12:1, KJV).
As a fourteen-year-old piano student, I was taught by the late Agnes Williams, who taught me how to play from the hymn book. Many of the songs I learned were the old hymns that carried powerful messages of faith, surrender, and trust in God. I learned how to play hymns like “Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross,” “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior,” “Amazing Grace,” and “Is Your All on the Altar?” Although we may not hear these hymns as often today, their messages are still relevant.
Furthermore, the song, “Is Your All on the Altar,” speaks to us this morning. You may be in a place where you are longing for peace, comfort, and relief. The question is, “Have you laid it all on the altar?” If not, today is the day to give it all to Jesus. He has paid it all, and to Him we owe everything. The hymn reminds us, “You have longed for sweet peace, and for faith to increase, and have earnestly, fervently prayed; but you cannot have rest or be perfectly blest until all on the altar is laid.” It goes on to ask, “Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid? Your heart, does the Spirit control? You can only be blest and have peace and sweet rest, as you yield Him your body and soul.”
In our aforementioned Scripture, Romans 12:1, Paul urges us to do three things as we lay it all on the altar: present our bodies as a living sacrifice, live holy lives, and give ourselves completely to God.Paul is calling believers to a life of total surrender. The question is not simply whether we have given something to God, but whether we have given Him our all.
Interestingly, Paul says that we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. Under the Old Testament sacrificial system, an animal was killed, prepared, and placed on the altar. The sacrifice was important, but God made it clear that obedience from the heart was even more important (LASB, 1704 and 1 Samuel 1:22).
“Is your all on the altar?” Have you placed your desires, your plans, your worries, your struggles, and your future in God’s hands? God wants us to live lives that honor and obey Him. He knows what is best for us, and He gave His Son, Jesus Christ so that we could have life and have it more abundantly. Therefore, our response should be one of joyful surrender. Lay it all on the altar. Give Him your body, your heart, your mind, your soul. Give God your life! In doing so, you will live a life that pleases Him.
“Is your all on the altar?”
Jesus Saves!
