Steven A. Bush - June 14, 2026
Living Sacrifices & Love: Vertically & Horizontally
Romans 12:1 says: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship." (NIV) The next 20 Verses that follow demonstrate what it looks like to be a "living sacrifice" demonstrating love, both vertically and horizontally. When an unknown scribe asked Jesus what was the greatest of all the commandments, we find Jesus' answer in Mark 12:29-31: "Jesus answered, 'The most important is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.'” (ESV) Jesus connects these two commands as though they are inseparable--vertical love unto God and horizontal love one to another. And if we're wondering what this looks like in real life, all we need to do is look at Jesus who always lived up to His own words, perfectly...
Scripture References: Mark 12:28-34, Romans 12:1-21