September 11
Day 181: Jumping Off the Alter
Three of us met this early morning for men's prayer. Every other Friday or so, we gather to pray through a chosen portion of Scripture, using it as our template.
Today's passage was the entirety of Romans 12, which is chock full of amazing, practical, and challenging stuff. (You really should read it!) While the chapter talks about doing church life together, it can all be summed up with this, the very first verse...
"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."
A couple of thoughts. The word "appeal" is to plead, to do everything possible to convince, even to beg. Paul is begging the Roman church to press into the mercies of God (the gospel.) Only by recognizing and responding to the truth and grace of the gospel can what follows even be remotely possible.
What follows is perhaps the most challenging possible picture of gospel living - sacrificing one's self. Not physically, thank God, but the sacrifice, the burning up of our propensity toward singular self-interest and self-indulgence.
It's interesting how the "present your bodies" is written in the singular, while "a living sacrifice" is plural. Meaning, as each of us puts ourselves on the alter, and together we become one, unified sacrifice.
A nice picture, isn't it? It even goes on to say that in doing this, we will discern what is "the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Anytime anyone would sacrifice anything, they, of course, hoped it would be acceptable to God. And a "perfect" sacrifice meant it was sufficient, enough. Paid the bill in full, as it were.
That's what Jesus accomplished. The sacrifice of Himself paid our bill. In full.
So what's the problem, if any? The problem is, as often as we climb up on the alter, we just as often look to jump off that same alter.
We can find ourselves wondering if we can burn our sacrifice, and then quickly un-burn it not long after. We're fickle that way, aren't we?
But don't miss the point. For the church, our church to be unified requires each of us giving up our own personal agendas, for our selves, and our expectations for the church.
In theory, and called to do in practice, we have already sacrificed ourselves, for the sake of unity, and purpose, and mission.
This doesn't work, cannot work, if we're jumping off the alter as often as we jump on.
-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church | Juneau