I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1 (ESV)
It's because of God's mercies that we can offer ourselves as living sacrifices. We can't earn His acceptance. Nonetheless, He's merciful to us- not treating us as we deserve.
Because Jesus sacrificed Himself for us, we should sacrifice ourselves for Him. Through faith in Him, we can be holy and acceptable to God. We're not naturally holy and acceptable to God, yet He can make us so in Christ.
Having had Christ die for us, it would be awful for us to carry on with 'business as usual'. His great love for us demands our spiritual worship. 'Love so amazing, so divine, demands my heart, my life, my all'.
The meaning of our lives is to worship God. He is worthy of our worship because of His mercy to us in the Lord Jesus Christ. His love demands ours.
' Merciful God, please help us to live for You, to sacrifice ourselves for You, as Christ has given Himself for us. For Your glory we pray, amen'
