Wonderful Brothers and Sisters. What is our purpose as a member in a Christian community? What are we supposed to do? How are we supposed to live? These questions were asked in St Paul’s time and are often times asked in this present day.
We hear St Paul write to the communities that he started, about presenting themselves to God. How are we to present ourselves to God? The apostle Paul writes to the Christian that are in Rome and states that, we must begin our presentation to God, with our bodies, “By presenting our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable (rational) service.” (Romans Chapter 12.) This is the start. This is the beginning. To live morally correct and to honor God through rational service. Without the struggle to morally live correctly and pure, we do not and cannot rise in our spiritual understanding and because of this, we do not grow in Christ and instead grow in our own understanding, whatever that is. It is not that Gods grace cannot help us. His energy and power that flows from Him, helps and comforts all that seek it, but we will be in danger of having to give an account on that day of not growing properly through it and throwing it away. God desires to give His grace to all, but we must struggle to prepare ourselves to receive it. He gave it, we didn’t want it. He offered it, we rejected it. It went back to Him and He gave it to someone else who will bring forth fruit in its season.
If we struggle against immoral thoughts and deeds, to present God our bodies as a living sacrifice, an interesting thing will begin to happen. Listen to St Paul describe this, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” By God’s grace, our minds even begin to be renewed, so that it grows in Christ. In other words, Christ Himself begins to mold it so that our minds begin to seek the spiritual things, the things of God and His will.
Our bodies were made in holiness. They are created by God to be holy and for us to present to Him our bodies as a living sacrifice. This is exactly what King David sings in the end of psalm 50. “Do go O Lord in Thy good pleasure unto Sion and let the walls of Jerusalem be builded. Then shalt Thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation (Preparation) and whole-burnt offerings. Then shall they offer a bullock upon Thine alter.” The prophet is singing about the process that God is preparing someone, who then is ready to offer himself as a sacrifice. When we are ready, when we have prepared ourselves, then God prepares us, and we are then able to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, a whole burnt offering.
In a state like this, it is not difficult for Gods grace to take root in us and produce fruit through you. “God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” This is one of the reasons apostle Paul spent countless hours, days and years preparing his flock. So that God would deal to each member more abundantly. This grace is manifested as gifts through people. Remember or keep this in mind, grace is invisible. You cannot put it into a glass jar and say, “Look at this grace, look how beautiful it looks.” You will see nothing. Grace is manifested through His creation and since we are Gods creation, it is manifested through us also. We are the living container, that grace fills. The first Epistle reading today, “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation, he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy, Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” And so on… This is our goal to live by and we cannot live this apart from the grace of God. If grace is cut off, then we are left without help, alone and ourselves to contend with. It is impossible without grace. Apart from grace we become, as the apostle puts it, wise in our own opinion and can only overcome evil with evil, but with grace, we overcome evil with good.
This is the goal for every member in the church. May the grace of God keep you pure and change you, so that you are able to offer yourself as a living sacrifice, when you are called to do so.