Thursday, October 14, 2004
Living Sacrifices?
CU today was really good. It was good because we discussed in great length the meaning of Romans 12:1-2.
The talk often ended up being about whether the Christian life is hard and if, as we grow (if we do) to become more like Christ it becomes easier...
I would argue in two ways (although not very eloquently):
Firstly, as we grow in Christ we will realise more and more how sinful we are and become more humble. We learn to lean more and more on Christ but it still hurts us that we are constantly in a battle with endwelling sin. In this sense as we grow in holiness it does become more of a struggle as we want more and more to be about mortifying sin which is of course difficult.
To grow in holiness will of course require us to make tough stands and therefore growing in Holiness gets harder and harder. Look at the apostles who were imprisoned and unfairly treated so often and even died painful deaths. These of course were greater Christians than I will ever be and yet they suffered more than me. The only sense in which it gets easier is because their love for Christ was greater and they didn't make a meal out of nothing which is what I am prone to do. The same is true of reformers.
So, I think in general the better Christians live harder lives (there will be exceptions) because they are prepared to make a stand when it really is hard to.
Again the words of Amy Carmichael come to mind (I know I've quoted them a lot but one cant have too much of a bad thing):
Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land,
I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star:
Hast thou no scar?
Hast thou no wound?
Yet, I was wounded by the archers, spent.
Leaned me against the tree to die, and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed me, I swooned:
Hast thou no wound?
No wound? No scar?
Yes, as the Master shall the servant be,
And pierced are the feet that follow Me;
But thine are whole. Can he have followed far
Who has no wound? No scar?
And so onto Romans 12:1-2 which is a pretty hard text...
Therefore, 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. Do 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.
The phrase that in my mind immediately jumps out is "Living Sacrifice". What does this mean?
In the old covenant the sacrificial system was one of atonement. The people brought sheep and bulls and goats to be sacrificed for their sins. But Christ, as our high priest died that perfect atoning sacrifice for our sins that was once for all. We no longer are required to give sacrifices for our atonement... that has been made perfectly for us. So, what is this sacrifice? The word living is key I feel. Sacrifices were gifts to God and that is what our lives should be but we are to put ourselves alive onto the altar. I think the idea of complete commitment to God would be appropriate. We do not check in and check out in our service to God it should be completely and wholely set apart for God. It is our bodies and not just some aspect of our being that is to be a living sacrifice.
Matthew Henry calls it a sacrifice of acknowledgement to the honour of God. We must always acknowledge that it is Christ living in the soul by faith that makes this sacrifice alive. All sacrifices are also to be holy and so the process of sanctification is applicable here.
Hmmm, I'm not sure I've dealt with those thoughts particularly well. Feel free to contradict anything I say or to offer other suggestions...
The talk often ended up being about whether the Christian life is hard and if, as we grow (if we do) to become more like Christ it becomes easier...
I would argue in two ways (although not very eloquently):
Firstly, as we grow in Christ we will realise more and more how sinful we are and become more humble. We learn to lean more and more on Christ but it still hurts us that we are constantly in a battle with endwelling sin. In this sense as we grow in holiness it does become more of a struggle as we want more and more to be about mortifying sin which is of course difficult.
To grow in holiness will of course require us to make tough stands and therefore growing in Holiness gets harder and harder. Look at the apostles who were imprisoned and unfairly treated so often and even died painful deaths. These of course were greater Christians than I will ever be and yet they suffered more than me. The only sense in which it gets easier is because their love for Christ was greater and they didn't make a meal out of nothing which is what I am prone to do. The same is true of reformers.
So, I think in general the better Christians live harder lives (there will be exceptions) because they are prepared to make a stand when it really is hard to.
Again the words of Amy Carmichael come to mind (I know I've quoted them a lot but one cant have too much of a bad thing):
Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land,
I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star:
Hast thou no scar?
Hast thou no wound?
Yet, I was wounded by the archers, spent.
Leaned me against the tree to die, and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed me, I swooned:
Hast thou no wound?
No wound? No scar?
Yes, as the Master shall the servant be,
And pierced are the feet that follow Me;
But thine are whole. Can he have followed far
Who has no wound? No scar?
And so onto Romans 12:1-2 which is a pretty hard text...
Therefore, 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. Do 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.
The phrase that in my mind immediately jumps out is "Living Sacrifice". What does this mean?
In the old covenant the sacrificial system was one of atonement. The people brought sheep and bulls and goats to be sacrificed for their sins. But Christ, as our high priest died that perfect atoning sacrifice for our sins that was once for all. We no longer are required to give sacrifices for our atonement... that has been made perfectly for us. So, what is this sacrifice? The word living is key I feel. Sacrifices were gifts to God and that is what our lives should be but we are to put ourselves alive onto the altar. I think the idea of complete commitment to God would be appropriate. We do not check in and check out in our service to God it should be completely and wholely set apart for God. It is our bodies and not just some aspect of our being that is to be a living sacrifice.
Matthew Henry calls it a sacrifice of acknowledgement to the honour of God. We must always acknowledge that it is Christ living in the soul by faith that makes this sacrifice alive. All sacrifices are also to be holy and so the process of sanctification is applicable here.
Hmmm, I'm not sure I've dealt with those thoughts particularly well. Feel free to contradict anything I say or to offer other suggestions...
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