In View of God's Mercy

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices …  Romans 12:1
 

 

Don’t miss this!! Paul is about to say something extremely important. Romans 12, verses 1 and 2 are pivotal. My church in Appleton, WI is just beginning a 40-week spiritual journey, called "Uncommon," and verse 2 gives us the title for the first part of our journey: “Unconformed.” Do not miss Romans 12:1-2!

 

Most importantly, don’t miss the word “therefore.” I know, it doesn’t seem like a significant word. But it really is key. “Therefore” makes you ask: “What’s the ‘therefore’ there for?” And in this key verse it is there to indicate this: when Paul calls all Christians to “offer your bodies as living sacrifices,” we have to understand that that does not happen apart from everything Paul has just said in eleven preceding chapters of Romans! You can read the whole thing (especially Romans 3:23-24 and Romans 6:23!); but for the sake of brevity, just understand that it is all summed up in one critical phrase: “God’s mercy” (Romans 12:1).

 

“Mercy” is “not getting what we deserve.” If I get caught speeding yet the officer chooses to let me go with no consequence, that’s mercy. With God, we deserve death and eternal condemnation (Rom. 6:23). Yet God chose to release us from that fate by taking our punishment on Himself — making Jesus Christ a sacrifice in our place (Rom. 3:24-25).

 

Paul understood that if we are going to live an uncommon life, unconformed to the pattern of this world, that is only possible “in view of God’s mercy.” Here’s the point: it all starts with God. As in the beginning, when there was nothing and God created, nothing we do happens apart from God. (see John 15:5; 2 Cor. 5:14)

 

Here is the second critical piece: because God has given us life when we deserve death, we owe God everything we have. Paul says, “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices.” That means going ‘all-in,’ holding nothing back. You can’t just give a little time or a little money or a little lip-service and call that good. Offer your “bodies,” he says — that means your whole self: your body, your thoughts, your passions, your present and future — everything! Let God use you for His purposes. Paul goes on to say: this is your worship. Not the songs you sing at church; giving your whole life for His work is your act of worship. Give it all to Him today!

 

Prayer: Father, I don’t deserve anything You give me. In view of Your mercy, lead me to give You all that I am, as an act of worship. Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria!

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.  Romans 11:36

 

“Look at me!” my 3-year-old said as he spun around in circles in the backyard. His feat was so simple, kind of silly actually. But it was a big deal for such a little guy. And as every child seems to do, he insisted that everyone (all of our guests included) look to see what he had accomplished. He was determined to have every eye focused on him. “Look at me!”

 

It might be cute if this attention-seeking attitude only described toddlers. But we know that mind-set carries on throughout life. It seems we are forever battling the need to have others recognize us. In fact, today’s obsession with celebrity may even lead us to believe that you really are no one until everyone knows you. So we see people vying for attention by the most foolish and shocking means necessary.

 

Even apart from shock value, we might ask ourselves:  “When I work hard to build a business, complete a task with excellence, keep things in order, teach students who demonstrate success … [whatever it is we strive to do] … am I seeking my own glory, am I building my own reputation, am I most concerned about what others think or about what my efforts will get for me?

 

Today, my church is kicking off a 40-week series called Uncommon. We start with Romans 11:33-36 and hear Paul demonstrating a posture of the heart that characterizes people who are being “transformed by Christ” — their desire is not for glorifying themselves, but for ascribing glory to the One who is far more worthy. While people all over the world may seek to be recognized, getting others’ attention by their looks, by their successes, or by a silly video that goes viral … the person who is called by Christ lives in a way that is countercultural. We live to give glory to God, not ourselves.

 

Christians, for nearly two thousand years, have used a Latin phrase, Soli Deo Gloria (solo = alone/only; Deus = God; Gloria = glory) — “To God alone be the glory.” After all, as Paul said it:  “from HIM and through HIM and to HIM are all things” (Rom. 11:36).

 

What about you? Are you doing the common thing of living for your glory? Or the uncommon thing of living for God’s glory?

 

 

Prayer: Lord, give me a spirit of selflessness. Remind me that all I have comes from You and that You alone deserve all the credit. When I experience success, help me say, Soli Deo Gloria! Amen.

 

#uncommon

Uncommon

Call me a FOOL.  Seriously.  I want to be a FOOL.

A "fool" for Christ, that is.

The apostle Paul says, "If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a 'fool' so that he may become wise" (1 Corinthians 3:18).  Which means that what GOD thinks is important is quite different than what the WORLD thinks is important.  The world values power, prestige, possessions.  God values submission, selflessness, sacrifice.  1 Corinthians 1:  "The message of the CROSS is foolishness" to the world.  But "God chose the foolish things ... the weak things ... the despised things."

Most people look to be on the top ... to be the best ... to out-man, out-pace, out-score, out-gun.  Most seek glory by what they do or what they own ... to be better, to be noticed.

But consider how Jesus Christ turned glory on its head!

• Matthew 16:  Jesus has just told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."  Then he says, "Some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."
• Matthew 20:  The mother of James and John comes to Jesus with the request, "Grant that one of these sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."  Jesus replies, "You don't know what you are asking ... These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."
• Matthew 27:  They crucified Jesus.  "Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left."

Christ's kingdom and glory are evident, not in how we would normally view triumph, but in the self-sacrifice ... in what looks like defeat ... in what looks like shame and humiliation.  The cross is utter foolishness.  Yet God's power and God's wisdom are on display there!

So if God's power and wisdom are found in what the world calls foolish ... I WANT TO BE FOOLISH for Christ.  Paul said in Romans 1:16, "I am unashamed of the Gospel" ... which is the CROSS ... "because it is the POWER of GOD for the salvation of everyone who believes."


So, here's what I believe:  God has rescued me in Christ.  He has set me apart to be His own child.  God has called me into a life that seems utterly foolish to many people — taking up self-sacrifice and humility and service in His name.

In a word:  now that God has called me in Christ ... he calls me to be UNCOMMON.

My church, this next week, is setting out on a 40-week journey of faith and spiritual growth.  We're calling the journey, UNCOMMON.  We're using these words from Colossians 3:1-3 as a basis for the next 40 weeks:  "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

Setting your hearts and minds on things above means viewing life and success in very different terms than what we hear in the news and in sports and in politics.  It means being rather UNCOMMON.

I'm excited to see what God is going to do.  What He'll do in me, what He'll do in my family and in my church family during this school year.

Check out this intro video ... and wherever you are (not just the people of Faith, Appleton), feel free to join us on the UNCOMMON journey.

2 Peter 3:18 — "Continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

More on Uncommon.

Want a real spiritual workout??  Take the 100-day Uncommon Bible Challenge.  Memorize 100 verses in 100 days.  Sort of like P90X for the soul.


#uncommon  #uncommonbiblechallenge

God v. Wisdom

"Since you refuse to listen when I call ... since you diregard all my advice ... I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you."  Proverbs 1:24-26

I know that God is different. My faith believes what He says in Isaiah 55 — "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways." But that really hit me today in a Bible study on Proverbs.

According to Proverbs, Wisdom (personified as a woman who calls out in the public square to teach anyone who would listen) is unforgiving — a sort of cold, cause-effect realist. Wisdom points to the reality of how the world works:  "Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth" (Proverbs 10:4); "A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself" (Proverbs 11:17). There's nothing particularly religious or spiritual about that — it's just how the world works. Consider a few professional athletes who are arrogant and selfish ... and how they pile trouble on themselves and invite the disdain of teammates and fans. (Contrast them with the great team players, who work and play with humility and a teachable spirit.) In countless ways we all pile up trouble in our lives by foolishness. We have family members, coworkers, and neighbors who seem to be magnets for trouble ... because of the choices they've made.

Wisdom points to those who live foolishly, who have chosen to pile up trouble, and says:  "If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. But since you rejected me when I called ... I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you — when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when distress and trouble overwhelm you" (Proverbs 1:23-27).

In contrast to Wisdom, God does not abandon us to the mess we've made. Like the father in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, God is full of compassion and always ready to welcome. In fact, God's entire plan of redemption in Jesus Christ shows that God's way is fundamentally different. As one of my favorite verses reminds us:  "God demonstrates His love for us in this: while we were still sinners Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). He entered our mess. He willingly, lovingly pursued us. And not because we had figured it all out and straightened ourselves out. "While we were still sinners"!  While Wisdom is unforgiving, God is full of mercy.

What really stood out to me today is this:  If God is willing to step into our junk ... what should our Christian response be to our children, friends, neighbors, and coworkers, when they have brought all kinds of trouble on themselves? Turn away, saying: "You brought this on yourself. You have to face the consequences"? No!

No doubt, it would be unloving to enable someone in their foolish ways. And according to the ways of Wisdom, we'd be justified in abandoning them to their mess. But I am convinced that the Godly life is marked by a willingness to enter another person's hurt — even the hurt they've piled on themselves — with compassion. We usually can't take away the earthly consequences for them. But we CAN walk with them and say: "I am here with you. I am here for you. I will not abandon you." This is the way of God, who says, "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you."

What does Godly compassion look like for you these days?

Party

I'm not exactly sure what it looks like, but it's got to be impressive, right? When heaven throws a party, I mean. When the angels celebrate, it has to be powerful.

I can't say what it looks like, sounds like, feels like. But I'm sure it happens. In Luke 15 Jesus tells three parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son (prodigal son). And with each one, there's an all-out party to celebrate the finding of what was lost. "In the same way, I tell you," Jesus says, "there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10).

Those words are seared into my heart. They are deeply personal. At a time when I was far away from God, He used the words of Jesus in Luke 15:10 to tell me of His deep, deep love. When a pastor shared those words ... the angels PARTY over ONE SINNER who turns to God ... I thought: they are having a party ... for ME?!! Ever since, I've compared the feeling to what happens when you break into space in a vacuum. My heart was a vacuum. Empty. Cold. Lifeless. Then God pierced my heart; and His love rushed in. And the angels partied.

I trust that party is in full swing again ... if it has ever stopped. I just wish I could have seen it from heaven's side. It was powerful enough from my view. How much more in the view of angels?!

I had the amazing privilege this week of baptizing Timothy, a guy I've been praying for and talking to for the last nine months. Now, I can hear our Father saying: "Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found" (Luke 15:23-24). Party on, heaven!!