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.[h] 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. Meditation Christians are resurrected people, molded by the mercy of God. Blind Bartemeus cried out to Jesus, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Luke 18:39). Jesus stopped and healed. Bartemeus, with the crowds, glorified God. When re-made people see the Maker of mercy then songs of praise will rise from our lives and be reflected in our loves. Seeing God’s mercy is the catalyst for Christians to live in worship, all of life as a sacrifice to Jesus (1). God’s mercy transforms hearts, molds minds, and re-orders our loves: Mercy molds how we love God: By mercy, believers are transformed to live as sacrifices for God’s glory (1-2). Christians are not conformed to patters of the world but transformed by the work of Jesus. Mercy molds how we love ourselves: God’s mercy makes believers joyfully humble and self-aware (3-4). Mercy molds how we love the church: The body of Christ is one, every Christian distinct with gifts of grace for us to discover, develop, and deploy for the good of the whole (5-8). Mercy molds how we love other Christians: The list is as intimidating as it is inviting! Mercy molds believers to love without hypocrisy, in truth, and with affection, honor, zeal, patience, generosity, empathy, unity of mind (9-16). Mercy molds how we love our enemies! Having received mercy, Christian’s seek peace, never avenge, and rely on good to overcome evil (17-21). God’s mercy transforms Christians more into the glorious image of God (2 Corinthians 3:18) as we live lives of worship to God, sacrifice shaping our loves to reflect the character of God. Richly Dwelling -What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially how seeing God’s mercy remakes us and re-orders our loves? -Which re-ordered love is most difficult for you: God, self, the Church, other Christians, or enemies? -Where do you need to allow mercy to mold your heart and life more, being transformed by God’s work in Jesus rather than conformed to the world? Be specific. Key Verse 1 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.
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