Romans 12:1-2...Day Four

"Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will..."

I got an e-mail from a friend the other day, who had just read through Romans 12:1-2,  asking, "Does this mean that God needs our approval? That doesn't sound right." There is a good reason that doesn't sound right...it isn't right! I think we can all agree that God does not need the approval of mankind. So what is this verse talking about?

Let's review what we have been talking about all week...
- When you experience God's mercy truly, it changes you
- This mercy drives people to lay down their own life to live fully for God
- Living sacrifices refuse to buy into the lies of the world and allow themselves to be shaped by God's love
- When you live like this, you are walking in God's will

But what about all that testing and approving of God's will stuff? Well, when you are walking in God's will...experiencing His will...seeing His will for your life...you WILL approve of it. It is that plain and simple. God does not need your approval. In fact, this verse does not say that we will "give our approval"...it simply says, "You will approve." That is the only response possible when you really experience what it is like to walk in God's will. Approval is the only option because God's will is good...God's will is pleasing...God's will is perfect. Those are the facts about what God's will is, so it is understandable that when human beings come in contact with it they respond with approval. There is no other possible response, because His will is flawless.

God's will is right. We were made to be in God's will...God's will is our home...it is where we belong and we will know when we get there.

Romans 12:1-2...Day Three

"Do not conform."

"But be transformed."

6 very powerful words...6 words that have really been challenging me this week. Here are some of the thoughts that came from my time in contemplation today - I would love to read some of your thoughts on this passage as well...

It all goes back to God's mercy. God's mercy is undeserved...it is amazing...it is awe-inspiring...it is transformational. To think that we loved like the Bible describes by the Creator of all things is overwhelming to say the least.

When we come in contact with that incredible mercy, we cannot help but offer ourselves as living sacrifices. It is the only suitable response. What else can we give...what else can we do before such love and mercy? We offer ourselves. We become living sacrifices. This is not a one time deal, it is a continual process of sacrificing my way for His way - because the incredible depth and value of His way demands it.

Being a living sacrifice means that you do not conform to the world. Why? Because conforming is all about self-worship...not God worship. Conforming is denying who God created you to be by trying to become something that the lies of this world have convinced you will make you happy...will satisfy you...will fulfill your deepest desires. Conforming is the opposite of sacrifice...conforming is selfishness. Conforming is saying, "God you don't know what you are doing. You don't know what is best for my life. Becoming just like everyone else is what I need to be happy." That is conformity and it is a one way ticket to empty brokenness, yet we all find a way of spending time on that train!

Living sacrifices allow themselves to be transformed by the loving mercy of God. They allow God's love to fill them...to show them the truth about who they are. The lies of the world absolutely shatter when they come in contact with the solidity of God's grace. Have you let that grace fill you and shape you and direct you?

Romans 12:1-2...Day Two

"Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship."

I couldn't get this section of our passage out of my head today. Such meaning and power and truth is carried in these few words...

First, did you notice how the plural of "bodies" becomes a single living sacrifice? What does that mean for us as Christians? For me it is a reminder that we are not alone. So many Christians act as if their faith is simply a matter of their own individual relationship with God. Some of them believe that they do not need community...that they are fine operating as loner Christians who only need God. Guess what? That is not the picture painted in the New Testament. The earliest Christian writers saw Christianity as a communal experience...saw faith as a product of people in community offering their lives to the one true God. We must rely on each other...push one another...love one another...that is how we will be able to most effectively offer ourselves sacrificially to God.

Second, the word "holy" really stands out to me. Holy means to be "set apart." The act of becoming a living sacrifice is about setting ourselves apart...setting ourselves aside for God - to please God. We are called to set ourselves in opposition to a culture and world that is absolutely at war with God. That doesn't mean that we live in Christian compounds and have no contact with the world - that would remove the light that is so desperately needed. What it means is that we are supposed to be a culture within a culture. A holy people in the midst of an unholy world...shining as a beacon of truth and light.

Third, why is sacrificing ourselves so "pleasing" to God? Because, greater love has no one then he/she who would lay their lives down for a friend. Self sacrifice is the ultimate picture of love held up for us by scripture. When we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, we are laying down our lives completely for God. We are saying that there is nothing more important than Him...that He is the absolute and total love of our lives...that nothing matters more - not money, not sex, not power, not fulfillment, not achievement - NOTHING! My daily self sacrifice is an act of devotion towards God. When I set myself apart...when I refuse to bow to the temptations of this world...when I deny my own selfish desires to more fully serve God...my life becomes a love song to Him. He deserves so much more, but all I have to give is all that I am. That is how we say, "I love you" to the God who loves us, and that is why it pleases Him.

Finally, this definition of "worship" seems so different then what we usually believe. Worship is not simply about singing songs, dancing for joy, listening to sermons or anything else on the Christian checklist. Dying. Dying is our true and proper worship. Dying to self and living for God on a daily basis...what could possibly be a more meaningful act of worship? What could possibly show our love for God more?

Isaiah 40:27-31

Another famous section of scripture...this has been turned into quite a few songs, but I think the songs often miss out on the point of why these amazing statements were said about God...

You'll notice in verse 27 that the people have been complaining about God. They says, "God, can you see what is going on down here!?" When life is going perfectly, they want to blame God. "This is not the way I want the world to work God. You are not working on my timetable God. Why are you doing this God? When are you gonna consider what I want God?" We have all been here haven't we? We have all had the arrogant audacity to question the Creator of the universe, as if He doesn't know what He is doing.

Well, the famous verses in this passage are God's answer back to the complaints of the people of the world (Through Isaiah of course). This reminds me a lot of God's response to the complaints of Job. God questioned Job - "Where you there when I laid the foundation of the earth? Were you there when I created the great sea creature?" God was basically saying to Job, "What right do you have to question me...I am the maker of everything...I am holding it all together?"Here Isaiah reminds us that God is everlasting...He is infinitely wise...He never takes a break...He doesn't miss anything that happens on the earth...and when you add all of that together with the rest of God's awesomeness, you get a being that knows a lot more about how things should operate on earth than you or me. Right?

Instead of questioning God, we should place our hope and trust in the fact that He knows what He is doing. When life is hard...when things are going terribly...we should take solise in the truth that God is working all things for the good of those who love Him and who have been called according to His purpose. As we wait on the Lord...as we make the choice to trust in Him...we will be given the strength we need to handle anything this world has to throw at us.

Romans 12:1-2...Day One

After reading through this weeks passage in the Lectio Divina fashion, one phrase was burned into my mind..."God's mercy." As Paul writes, laying out a pattern for Christian living, it all hinges on God's mercy. What is God's mercy? It is God's unrelenting, never-failing love for us. It is the way that God pursues you and me - broken, sinful, screwed up people. He just keeps loving us...He doesn't give up on us...He offers forgiveness that is like nothing we can fully comprehend...He died for us. The Creator God of the universe felt such love for His creation that He was willing to become one of us. Not only was He willing to become one of us, but He was willing to die at the hands of people He had created so that we could receive forgiveness. That is mercy!

Paul lays it all out for us - nice and simple...
- God's mercy drives us to become living sacrifices.
- Living sacrifices are people who do not conform to the ways of this world.
- Living sacrifices are people who are transformed by the love of God and the Way of Jesus.
- And when we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, we will be able to see God's will for our lives.
That's Christianity 101 right there!

Today God has burned into my heart the desperate need I have for His mercy. When I contemplate my life...when I think about the things I live for and chase after, I can see the lies of the world creeping in. There are cultural values and lies that go against the heart of God that are leaking into my heart and shaping my life. Can you see them too? The worldly values that you have allowed to come between you and truly faithful living? What are they - think about it? As Christians we must allow the incredible mercy of God to overwhelm our souls...to transform our minds...to fill our hearts. Then we will be able to see the emptiness of the things of the world and the beauty of the will of God for our lives.

I Corinthians 1:1-17

1:2 - "Called to be saints together with all those in every place who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." This is what true Christianity look like. We see ourselves as members of the universal body Christ. This is not a competition...it is not about whose denomination is better...it is not about who can grow the biggest church or who has the coolest pastor...Christianity it about the unified priesthood of believers. Do we operate like this? Do we celebrate the victories of our brothers and sisters in Christ? Do we pray for them? What needs to change in our interactions with Christians outside of our church?

1:5 - The grace that comes from God should filter down into every aspect of our lives. When God's amazing, undeserved grace gets a hold of us: our actions change...our words change...our minds change...our hearts change. The grace of God enriches and transforms all areas of our lives...the grace of God shapes us to be more like Christ. If this reality is not taking place in your life, then maybe you have not fully embraced the enormity of God's grace.

1:17 - This is really important for Christians to hear and understand. You do not have to b able to speak the perfect words to represent the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You do not have to be eloquent. You do not have to have a Bible college degree. You don't have to be an ordained minister. You don't need any special training. Christians must simply be ready to allow the power of the cross to speak for itself through their lives. You don't need a special Christiany acronym, you just need to tell your story. Tell about the transformation you have seen in your life and the lives of others...tell about how the cross brought life from death...righteousness from sin. So many Christians fail to preach the good news of Jesus with their lives because they don't think they can...they don't think their ready. But here's where they go wrong - it isn't about them...it isn't about their communication skills or their personality. The cross does it's own talking...God's grace is sufficient...all we have to do is make ourselves available to what God is going to do through our lives - He takes care of the rest.

Psalm 15

15:1 - Who is allowed to rest in the presence of the Lord? How do you know when someone is walking in the midst of God? They have characteristics like these...

- They do what is right
- They have integrity...there is a wholeness to the way they live
- They do not tear others down, they build them up
- They do not do evil to others or hope that evil befalls others
- They honor the faithful and oppose the wicked
- They hold to their word no matter what...no matter the cost
- They do not take advantage of others
- They cannot be bought or corrupted

15:5b - These are the characteristics of men and women who walk in the presence of the Lord...of believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit of God. These characteristics are foundation stones of a life of faith...a life that cannot be rocked...a life that cannot be moved...a life that cannot be shaken. These are the life marks of men and women who are anchored in God. The question is - are they the marks of your life?

2 Samuel 6

I was speaking about this passage today at Northland Christian School and remembered how powerful the example of David was for my own life...

6:9 - After Uzzah dies, David is angry and heartbroken and defeated. This verse tells us that he fears the Lord and he walks away from the ark. I think it is hard for American Christians to read about fearing the Lord and really understand it. We don't want to fear God...that doesn't sound right to us. We want to be filled with God. We want to be blessed by God. We want to have eternal life with God. Fearing God sounds so unrelational...it sounds so medieval. But we really need to understand that fear of God is essential for a true believer. In this chapter, fear of God is what forms the foundation for David's passionate, unashamed worship of God. David finally understands...he finally sees firsthand, that God is OTHER. God is above us. God is power. God is truth. God is righteousness. God IS. When you start to see even small glimpses of the true nature of God...fear is a natural response. It is not the same kind of fear we have for evil things...it is a fear that is centered around ultimate respect...it is a fear grounded in your extreme helplessness and meaninglessness in comparison to God's vastness. It is a beautiful fear that demands, from the depths of your soul, that you worship God with every ounce of devotion you can muster.

6:14 - "David danced with all his might." Do you ever love God like this? Have you ever loved God with this kind of passion? I have seen people celebrate at sporting events and concerts like this...but this depth of worship is rarely offered up to God. It is a shameful fact that we rarely see Christians worship God with abandon, isn't it? David gave everything he had to his dance before the Lord...his dance fueled by loving fear...his dance of pure worship. God is the only thing in the universe worthy of our worship...if fact, we were designed specifically for worshipping God. David was able to worship in this pure form because he had finally connected with His creator in such a way that nothing else mattered. Nothing! He was utterly lost in the act of honoring God...and all other thoughts/worries/concerns/fears were swept from his mind. Do you understand that your life everyday is an act of worship? Do you know that you are a worshipper? What are you worshipping with your life? Can you say what David was able to say that you are worshipping God with all your might?

Philippians 2:14-18

Verses 14 and 15 - Christians set a great example for the rest of the world when we live out our faith on a daily basis through trust and joyful living (Regardless of our circumstances). When we allow bitterness, worry, complaints, whining, etc. to creep into our lives, we look more like the corrupt world and less like Christ. Complaining shows a lack of faith...arguing shows a lack of humility...and these things damage the worlds perception of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Make his name great and you life better by refusing to bitterly complain...by living in the peaceful freedom of God's presence.

Verses 16-18 - Paul (Writing from jail, I might add!), is still absolutely committed to being a light to the world in all that he does and says. Nothing can stop him from living faithfully, because he BELIEVES...he really and truly believes...he is absolutely sold out to the way of Jesus. And he makes it clear that he is even willing to go further...Paul is willing to pour out his life's blood like a drink offering (To die!) for the sake of the Gospel. All that matters to him is the name of Jesus being made great in the world...lives being changes...sinners being redeemed...God's will being done in the world - that is all Paul cares about - how about you? He lived out such a powerful example for us. When I am whining about the little things in my life that are "going wrong," I need to fight for joy...stay committed...humble myself before God...trust Him and live as light.

Psalm 1

Verse 1 - I do a pretty good job of ignoring the counsel of the wicked...though sometimes the lies produced by our selfish, consumeristic culture seep into my heart. I do not generally stand in the way of sinners (Which is not talking about "standing in their way" as in stopping them, but really referring to standing in the midst of sinfulness)...though in all honesty, some of the media I consume is definitely not "holy." Yet, I do struggle regularly with the third area mentioned...it is easy for me to be a cynic...it is easy to be a scoffer...it is easy to mock...it is easy for me to find fault in others while offering no help for transformation. I often sit in the seat of the scoffer, and that is not what godly men and women do. Time for me to get to work!

Verse 2 - I love this verse, but I want us to think about what it means to really live this out. What does it look like...literally...to delight in the instruction of the Lord? What does that look like in my life? What does that look like in your life? Do I delight in the Law of the Lord on a regular basis...on a moment by moment basis each day? Do I find true freedom in the way that Jesus Christ has shown me how to live? (I should!) Does it bring me joy? Do I revel in the beautiful simplicity of his way? In the lack of confusion and the surplus of clarity it brings me? Do I dedicate myself to writing the Law of the Lord onto my soul every day? That is what godly men and women do.

Verse 3 - When you drink deep from the presence and Truth of the Lord, your life will be better. That is a biblical guarantee...that is a promise straight from God Himself. Does it mean that you will be rich and beautiful and have no earthly problems? No. What it means is that you will have the strength and wisdom and compassion and love to face anything that this screwed up world has to throw at you! That what it means. You will be a better person, because you will be connected to the source of true life that you were created to be in relationship with. It is just right and you will know it if you surrender yourself to the Lord.