Later this morning I'll speak on Romans 12:1-8 about offering yourself as a 'living sacrifice'. It makes no sense to sacrifice your life for the sake of others. What makes sense is holding on to what little I have in an this cold and unfair world. But Paul doesn't say 'Hey, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice' rather he says 'In view of God's mercy offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.' God's mercy stuns me.
I've been guilty and I've been punished for it plenty of times. I've been guilty and gotten away with it. I recognize the beauty and goodness and perfection there is in the world and admit I have sometimes chosen against it, reveling in the opposite instead. Were the Great Judge to render a verdict in a booming voice I'd hear GUILTY and the Judge would be just and right. I'd have no worthy defense.
Mercy is the engine of the change in my life. Whereas I stood guilty with no defense, there was another in the room, bright and perfect. "God was pleased to look on him and pardon me." How could it be...? As I walk out, breathing deep the air of freedom, knowing I do not deserve it, I have one response: gratitude. Gratitude for mercy fractures my heart into a thousand shards of joy, peace, excitement, wonder... and a will to worship this merciful one, to please Him. To live worthy of what I could not earn. To be a 'living sacrifice.' I want to show mercy, too, and be like him.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment