Almost nine months ago, we sent out postcards announcing the opening of our church here in Doral. The first postcard that we sent out had the picture of a young woman on it who is quoted as saying: “When I walked out of my parent’s church, I never thought I’d walk back in. For me church was all about rules, uncomfortable clothes, and trying to stay awake. It was watching my parents act like saints on Sunday and sinners the other six days. If that was church, you could have it. I had moved on in my life – I didn’t need church.”
What does it mean to be a Christian? Does it mean coming to church every Sunday? Is it just a “going through the motions”, saying the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostle’s Creed, singing some inspiring hymns and then trying to stay awake during the sermon? Is that what being a Christian means to you? Is it just a one day a week commitment?
Well, this morning, the Apostle Paul is going to encourage us to be Christians 24/7: twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. We read from the Paul’s letter to the Romans chapter twelve (Romans 12:1,2,17-21)...
I. In view of God’s mercies
Paul here “urges” us, encourages us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, to be transformed, to be Christians 24/7. The word used here in our text for “urge” in classical Greek meant to encourage troops on to the battle.
You know, it’s difficult to encourage troops to go into battle – to face death – when they don’t know what they are fighting for or why they are there. We need encouragement, a reason for entering the long hard battle against sin. Paul gives us that reason here. He encourages us to enter that great battle of faith “in view of God’s mercies.”
The prophet Jeremiah tells us that God’s mercies, his compassion for undeserving sinners is new every morning. Every day, 24/7, God grants us clothing and food, house and home... cable TV and the internet. Every day, 24/7, God covers us with the warm blanket of forgiveness and salvation.
We don’t deserve it. We are the ones who on Sunday sing his praises and confess his name, but then suddenly change our tune during the week. We are the ones who, to fit in with the guys at work, let foul language come out of our mouths. We are the ones who watch things we shouldn’t on TV and the internet. We are the ones who pray for our poor neighbors on Sunday and then on Monday we trash those same neighbors with our gossip. We are the ones that trust God whole-heartedly on Sunday morning, but then are unable to sleep that night due to our doubts and worries. We are sinners 24/7.
But that is why God’s mercies are so comforting. When Jesus died on the cross, he suffered the punishment for all the sins that we were to commit. God’s forgiveness covers us completely, like a warm blanket on a cold night. Every day we see his mercies, his love, his protection in our lives. And most importantly he gives us an eternal home in the perfection of heaven, where we will be with him enjoying the bliss of heaven – 24/7 – forever.
So, with our eyes firmly fixed on his love and mercy, God now encourages us to go into the battle, to fight the good fight of faith to thank him for all that he has given us in his mercy. He promises to give us the strength. He promises to be with us every step of the way. So in view of God’s mercy, let us engage our enemy and enter into the fight of faith.
II. Being transformed.
And we do that by offering our bodies as living sacrifices to God – our spiritual act of worship. Worshiping God is not something to be done only on Sunday. Worshiping God is not limited to just saying prayers and singing hymns. God wants us to worship him 24/7, to offer our bodies, our hearts, our minds – our all – to him. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.” Everything we do as Christians out of thanks for God’s mercy is part of our spiritual worship. So think about that the next time you’re on the internet or talking with your friends or watching TV. Is what I’m doing bringing glory to God?
You see, when God brought us to faith, a transformation took place. God really started this war which takes place within us. Before we believed there was no struggle. We did as we saw fit. We looked out for ourselves. We were selfish. But now through Word and Sacrament, the Holy Spirit has entered into our hearts. We now have a Christian within us who is constantly at war with our old sinful nature and with this sinful world.
And this war in which we are engaged is a constant struggle. President Bush, speaking of the war that we are about to engage against terrorism, tells us to be prepared for a long and difficult struggle. We must be prepared for the same long and difficult struggle against sin. By becoming Christians, we are not now perfect and unable to sin. We have been declared innocent by God and have been given heaven, but we are still in a struggle in this world – a struggle which will last our entire lives here on earth.
That’s why it’s so important to come to church on Sunday. That is why it is so important to study God’s Word in your home during the week. God through his Word and Sacraments “renews us” as our text says. Through these means of grace he gives us the strength to fight the good fight against our very powerful enemies: the devil, the world and our sinful nature. Through his Word, God teaches us what he wants us to do to thank him, so that, as our text says, “we will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
And here in our text, we have an example of God’s good, pleasing and perfect will for us. In verses 17 to 21, God tells us how he wants us to react to the hating, evil attacks of our enemies.
III. Overcoming evil with good.
“That’s not fair!” The words slide so easily off our lips. “That’s not fair. Billy’s mom is letting him go to the party.” “That’s not fair. If my husband isn’t going to treat me right, I shouldn’t feel bad about cheating on him.” “That’s not fair. How can we stand idly by and let our enemies attack our way of life.” “That’s not fair.”
We all have an inner yearning for justice. And is that necessarily wrong? Well, God wants us to hate what is evil and love what is good. In the book of Psalms, there are a number of what are called Imprecatory Psalms, Psalms which call on God to punish our enemies. So is God contradicting himself when he says here that we should not seek to repay our enemies the evil that they have done us, that we should love them, pray for them and do good to them?
Paul tells us the answer here in our text. “‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” We have a just and righteous God who hates sin and will always punish it. That’s why we are so thankful that in his love he punished Jesus instead of punishing us. Those that reject Jesus, however, will face God’s righteous judgement. As Christians, we now hate sin. And we can rejoice in the fact that God will punish it. But it is not OUR job to do the punishing.
The amazing thing is that God in his love also wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. He would rather that evil men come to him to find forgiveness. Their sins still deserve punishment, but again, Jesus suffered that punishment. So in other words, it is OK to desire justice and to hate evil. But at the same time, God wants us to show love to our enemies, to pray for them, to share with them the precious Gospel. If they come to believe, justice will still be done. Their sin was still punished, because God punished his Son for their sins of all people.
So, to apply this to the tragedies of September 11th: we can be angry at the evil. We should hate that horrible sin and pray for God’s divine justice. But at the same time, in view of God’s mercy on us, we pray for those evil men that they may repent and believe. We forgive them their horrible sins, just as God in Christ has forgiven us our horrible sins. We respond in love. We do not take out personal vengeance on Arabs or Muslims. We overcome evil with good.
Now by saying this, I do not mean that the U.S. government should stand idly by, while her citizens are attacked. God has granted the government the right of the sword, the right to punish and to protect its citizens, the right to be his instrument of justice. In Romans 13, Paul says of the government: “It is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” The government has the God-given right and responsibility of protecting its citizens.
So, as Christians, in view of God’s mercies which are new every morning, let us not speak out in hate and anger over the crimes of September 11th. Rather, let us lift our voices in prayer and love. Let’s pray to God for our government and President Bush that they may act wisely. Let’s pray to God that Osama Bin Laden and all terrorists repent and find forgiveness in Jesus. God wants us to pray for those who persecute us. And also, let’s speak kindly to all people... even those who treat us poorly, even those who speak bad of us, even those who hate us.
It’s not easy. It’s a struggle, a battle, a war. By nature we want to say, “that’s not fair.” But in view of the mercy that God has shown us, let us every day, 24/7, overcome evil with good, hatred with love. Because being a Christian is not just a Sunday morning commitment. It is a life-long struggle to show love. 24/7. Amen.
