Be Transformed (Romans 12: 1-8)
1I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect.
3For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, 5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 6We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; 8the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
“Be transformed!” What a wonderful appeal. To take what lacks energy and bring power and vitality; that is what we need. It is humbling to think that we cannot do it apart from Christ. But we can meditate on the word, commandeer a new perspective, and gain truth and insight. Then we will proceed without doubt. Then we will succeed. Then we will be able to discern God’s will for our lives.
It is not because we are particularly good that God loves us. Our behavior isn’t better than the rest. Anyone who has tried to live up to the Sermon on the Mount has felt failure and frustration. Most people want to be good, want to get along in peace and harmony. This does not separate us from the rest. But in desperation, we have called out to God, and the promise is that we will be delivered. So, it is God who is compassionate, who is tender and kind, who pities us in our floundering, who has made a way. It’s a mystery that alludes reason; so simple, yet inconceivable. To accept our creaturely state, to admit we have flaws, to understand the condition of all humanity, and simply submit; this is the balm that sooths. God is great! We are dependent. This confession brings joy and peace. Oh God, how unsearchable are your ways!
It’s also not because we are smarter than the rest that God loves us. Funny, how after having been brought near in humility, we tend to get puffed up. Reject this tendency. Know that God is speaking to others just as clearly. Because we have managed to make sense of our lives, we shouldn’t assume that our path is transferable to others. Don’t become the judge. Rather, learn to respect and appreciate other’s experiences and perspectives. The world is diverse. And God speaks into the lives of many individual realities. He speaks to your neighbor just as clearly; just as he does to someone across the world. God is not confined to any one cultural perspective. He even loves those who oppose you. God’s love for us, then, should be a source of humility.
Just as sure, it is not because of our unique relationship with God that raises and sustains us. We, rightly understood, are not special in a sense that puts us above others or pits us against someone else’s version of reality. True, we are all accountable to the Bible’s direction, and multi-millenniums of thought have garnered a trustworthy hedge within which we live and breathe. But God is not confined to finite reason. He is not bound by our interpretation of him as if we define him. Our particular point of reference is not the center of reality. Consider the sheer magnitude and scope of an almighty God, who is love, who is truth, who is graciously drawing all to himself, and you will be necessarily stripped of all inclinations toward pride; and you will be healed.
There are no more Moses types, or Elijahs or Isaiahs. The canon is closed. God no longer speaks to anyone face to face. Yet, he has given what is necessary. It is good to know that in our desperation and dependency all we need to do is call on the name of the Lord. Beautiful in its simplicity, that is how much God loves you! No longer do we need a sign. And unnecessary is the pursuit of wisdom. “Christ crucified” is the message. This we can grasp. By this, God has made a way.
Ultimately, it is God’s power thru Jesus Christ that saves. Had he not been on humanities side, we would have all been swept under.