Pattern

After four days at a Christian camping conference, you'd figure I'd have thoughts connected to what I learned. One thing that I enjoyed was that the main speaker, just happened to go to the same scriptures that I go to to talk about what God wants our lives of love to be like. One section we both love is Romans 12.

¹Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

²Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

³For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. ⁴Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. ⁷If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; ⁸if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

-Romans 12:1-9

Yesterday I wrote about the next section, verses 10-21, about what Christian love looks like. Today we go back a step. Where does Christian love come from?

In view of God's mercy. I love that phrase. Even though sometimes it is talked about in a classroom way. The classroom truth is that the therefore in verse one takes us back to all of Romans' descriptions of the fallen man and our need for the law to show us our fault. But we also see that the law does not save. Only the undeserved love of Christ saves us and makes us new creations. And then we read that our new creations are not capable of doing all the good that we want to do, or to stop doing all the things we don't want to do. But the question is still considered. If perfection is not possible, but righteousness is the pattern, how can we live it?

It is not the world's pattern. It is one of sacrifice. I don't know if people want to sign up to be sacrificed, or enslaved, or imprisoned. But in view of Gods' love for us, isn't that the pattern? Didn't Jesus make it clear that his path is one of persecution. Isn't it obvious that it is not one of comfort. Isn't there a reason Paul talks almost pridefully about being a prisoner for Christ?

Do we want to be a slave to the Holy Spirit? I think yes, as much as our weak-willed bodies can submit to his will. maybe if the picture of being enslaved is too much we can consider in step to mean a dance.

AS we dance with the Holy Spirit, we must submit enough to let him lead. Whatever our spiritual gifts, whatever our weaknesses that God wants to use to show his power, whatever the personal risk or discomfort, we mirror his footsteps.

It was not, by any means painless when Christ walked in love. It will not be by any means painless when we do. But it will be love. Sacrificial love--unearned love--it will be. Sober and cheerful. Delighted in sacrifice. Let's battle the big three, the devil, the world and our sinful flesh by feeding the hungry, loving the lonely, and passing on the teaching that is likely to land us in an uncomfortable spot. Let us follow the pattern that our Savior laid out.

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