Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. (Rom 12:1 NAU)
I. Reflection: The Christ in Action
Our symptoms revealed it. The diagnosis defined it. From vain thoughts to unkind words, from unthinkable acts of cruelty to the mindless menace of violence, from a cold disregard for humanity, to a casual indifference to God, all of these pointed to the condition of a rebellious heart.
The clinical term for it is sin, and we all suffer from it. It is an involuntary and fatal condition: brutal, indiscriminate, and unforgiving. Those who have tried to control it only found themselves ultimately consumed by it. For you see, it cannot be tamed, because “there is none righteous, no not one”. It does not play favorites, because “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” It takes no prisoners, “for the wages of sin is death…”
Less we forget you and I were guilty of this treason. All of us played a part in the evil episodes of our existence, not as mere victims, but as co-conspirators of our own demise. Having been born in sin, and shaped in iniquity, we were the unacceptable creation; wicked, lost, fallen.
On one occasion some member of this is fragile motley crew called humanity cried out of frustration, “Oh wretched man that I am who will deliver me from the body of this death?” Who indeed can deliver us from deception and depravity? Who can save us from sin and from self? Is there one among us who can pay so great a debt?
Time passed on, and when there was none to be found; no champion to be named amongst men, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” This is what this therefore, is therefore, to remind us of and call us to, a time of reflection. To remember with confidence and gratitude that Jesus has conquered sin and death. It is Jesus who has paid your balance due and your debt on high. Fore where we suffer from sin, Jesus the Christ suffered for us! This was the Christ in action.
II. Repentance: The Cause of Action
Therefore, in light of the Christ in action, we are urged as brethren by the cause of action; something the Apostle calls “the mercies of God”; these unmerited acts of kindness that ought move us to lay down our sword and shield and study war no more. Too move from idol worship to the image of God, from damnation to deliverance, from reflection to repentance, or “what shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin…? May it never be; for the death that He died, He died to sin once for all…” Let me be clear, our sin is the cause of this action. And yet, what are these “mercies of God?” Generally speaking, mercy means compassion; pity. It is God beholding our falleness and sympathizing with us. And you do know what it means to sympathize? It is a word with both Greek and Latin origins, and it means to suffer with. And so to that end, God chose to suffer with us. So what then do we make of these mercies? Clearly there are many, because where there is man, much mercy will be needed.
Mercy, it is kind treatment towards the undeserving and unrighteous, mercy. It is God’s compliment to the unattractive, mercy. It is the Samaritan’s deeds to the robbed, the weak, and wounded, mercy. At its best, it is divine intervention making provision for human depravity. For this reason, these mercies are best summarized by two words, ‘loved’, and ‘gave’. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
And this is why the Apostle is so compassionate and urgent with his plea “by the mercies of God”, because in light of what God has done in the person and work of Jesus Christ, we must show contrition, repent, and turn from our wicked ways.
III. Restoration: The Call to Action
If we are turning from our wicked ways, what then are we turning to? Where we reflect on the Christ in action, and repent for the cause of action, we are then restored, in part, by His call to action: “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God.”
This is a call to complete submission. It is you and I tithing ourselves to God, because our lives are now His, and we belong to Him. He has consecrated us in the precious blood of the Lamb, Jesus the Christ. How do you present yourself? You present your bodies “living and holy…”
Living – it speaks of our total being; active and animated for the glory of God. When experienced in Jesus, it is the complete expression and fulfillment of all that life can be. It is freedom in every way that one can be free. It is the unfailing experience of love where each day with the Lord Jesus gets sweeter and sweeter. It is not the mere confession of faith, it is the intentional conforming of the heart, the head, and the hand. It is counter to the culture men. It is you and I living, moving, and having our being witnessed in the face of prejudice, witnessed in our restraint, witnessed in our love for those who despitefully use us. This call to action is necessary because it is important for the world to see, and you and I to live in view of that fact that we are an Easter people living in a Good Friday world. But, we are also to present our bodies, holy.
Holy – This describes the type of life that is presented to God and before men. Holiness is something that God is, and makes possible for us to be. It cannot be manufactured nor faked. For you and I, it most accurately speaks of our newness of nature in Christ Jesus. It is living a life that is set apart from all that God calls wicked. Those who are outside this covenant of grace will mock us, because what the world calls deprivation, God calls enrichment.
With that said, during this Lenten season, a period practice that predates the Roman Catholic church and is observed by the vast majority of Christian denominations globally, I would have you to know that the Holy Spirit is asking that you sacrifice something far more valuable than materials, meals, or media. The sacrifice that God requires is not superficial. It is a call that is further in and deeper down within the soul of the believer. It is a call to sacrifice yourself, not in death but in your life. Recovering from my own bed of sickness, stricken with asthma, I came to realize that Jesus did not die to make bad people good. He was resurrected to make dead men live! As we depart, I appeal to you during this Lenten season, to sacrifice anger and strife, gossip and backstabbing, idolatry and infidelity, prejudice and pride. Give up that one obstacle that has hindered your walk with Jesus Christ, and I promise you will be glad you did.
T’was grace that taught my heart to fear
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
~Stanzas from Amazing Grace
Amen.
