Romans 12

A Living Sacrifice

12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Gifts of Grace

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Marks of the True Christian

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

22.

Thank you God, for it is by your grace and mercy that I managed to come to the end of my NS liability. It has been an enriching journey and a great test of faith. I have to admit, that I have stumbled and struggled. It hasn't been the easiest of 22 months. I recognize what Jesus has done on the cross for me, I want to live out a Christ-centered life. Looking back, I realized that I have grown quite a bit. My walk with Jesus has never been so close before. In just 22 months, I have changed, for the better I hope.

Thank you Lord, you are just so wonderful and praise-worthy. Your love is beyond all measure.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
6 Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

Psalm 25:1-5

Beyond Measure

What constitutes love? Is it how much you are willing to pay for a meal? Or is it how much you are willing to sacrifice? It is dangerous to put our own definition to what love is. The idea of human love is often one filled with the warm and fuzzy feelings, or the feeling of being pampered. Is that what love is? I beg to differ. When we love, we shouldn't be thinking of ourselves and how much the other party can serve us. The very fact the the feelings mean so much is already revealing to us and others that we are more concerned about how we feel. That in itself is selfish.

So, what's love? Some Christians, without thinking further and considering the context, would quote 1 Corinthians 13's famous verses. "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV) Yes, that is love. That's the love that God shows us. It is the perfect love that only God can give. But, let's look at God's love in its context and the dynamics of it. What is the basis of God's love for us? Is it warm and fuzzy? No! It is for he loves us so much, that he sent his own son Jesus Christ to die for our sins. It was a bloody and painful one. For someone to die on a cross, he has to be a big time criminal. So much that being hung by a noose would be too light a sentence. To die on the cross entails humiliation, torture and a slow death. It could be one of the worst forms of execution or punishment available, not to mention how gruesome and bloody it is. This is love. God's love.

I will cringe every time I remind myself of how God loves His children. By his grace, I have heard the Good News. By His grace, He has forgiven my sins because Christ has died on the cross even before I was born. Through Christ, I'm confident of my salvation and I'm assured of eternal life.

Who can measure up to God's love? We as mere humans fall short of it by more than what I can imagine. It is wider, deeper and longer and has more capacity that one can ever fathom. But we should still always try to follow God's example of love, one that is humble and willing to put the interest of God first.

How will you love then? Are you still desiring to have the warm and fuzzy feeling to be the first and immediate outcome?