As we begin this Lenten season and walk through Leviticus 1–5, one phrase keeps pressing on my heart: This is about the last 5%.

As we read this last Sunday, in Leviticus 1, the burnt offering was placed entirely on the altar. Nothing was held back. The whole sacrifice was consumed before the Lord. And I wonder if that image unsettles us a little. Because many of us have given God our lives in general terms… We believe. We attend. We serve. But are there still parts of ourselves we’re holding back? Is there something we’ve quietly said, “God, you can have most of me… but not this”? Maybe it’s a poor habit we’ve normalized. Maybe it’s control we’ve grown comfortable with. Maybe it’s a secret sin we’ve justified because “at least I’m obedient in other areas.” Maybe an invitation from Jesus we’ve delayed for years.

What if Lent is about naming that last 5%?

Leviticus 1 paints this picture of a burnt offering and in Romans 12:1, Paul picks up that image and says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice…”

And notice where he starts. This is not about earning God’s love and it’s not about atoning for our sin. Jesus has already done that. Paul is simply calling us to surrender ourselves as a response to mercy. 

But what does that look like?

First, remember mercy.

This is where guilt and shame are no more. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

Second, relinquish your life.

A living sacrifice is one that stays on the altar. And yet, if we were honest we would admit our tendency to say, “God, take all of me!” And then when the heat is ramped up we crawl off. 

So maybe the question for many of us isn’t: Have I given my life to Christ? It is instead: What is my last 5%? What am I still protecting, defending, or hiding? Know this to be true: refinement is not destruction. It is transformation.

Third, realign your thinking.

Paul continues: “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” This means we do not sit above scripture, but we sit underneath it. And when we disagree with God, we humble ourselves to allow Him to reshape us. But here’s the promise! When you surrender, you discover that His will is good, pleasing, and perfect.

So once more: What is the last 5% for you? Is there something Jesus has been inviting you to lay down for a long time? Is there guilt you are still carrying that He already died for? Is there sin you’ve kept hidden that is keeping you from experiencing His presence? Is there an area where you disagree with Jesus and you’ve quietly chosen your own way?

I just can’t shake the thought that maybe Lent is simply about this: Naming our tendency to crawl off the altar… And choosing, once again, to climb back on.

Blessings,

Pastor Brandon Dunham