Choosing the Culture of God

How do I know his will for my life? Romans 12 tells us how to become better listeners to God who has a perfect will for us. Paul “begs” his readers to “offer” our bodies as living sacrifices to God. This is our true and proper response in light of God’s goodness or mercy.

What is God’s mercy? What has he done that being a living sacrifice is the appropriate choice for us? Jesus came as our sacrifice. The cross is God’s mercy. In light of Jesus’ action, be a living sacrifice. What would a first century reader picture as she read these words? “Sacrifice” would conjure images of the temple, of an animal, of blood, and of a burning altar. And in the context of Paul’s letter, “sacrifice” would remind the reader of the cross, the blood, the beatings, and Jesus’ death.

We understand a sacrifice today as giving until it hurts, but a first century believer understood sacrifice as giving to death. The phrase “living sacrifice” would therefore be a new idea: sacrifice but still alive—die but live. This is the journey of faith: giving, even to death. But what am I to sacrifice or give? My body, which to Paul is one’s whole self or soul. Followers of Jesus don’t just sacrifice time or money, but also our choices, our relationships, our dreams, our retirement … Paul begs you to choose this. Don’t choose to live as everyone else.

Don’t buy into the prevailing culture, the daily “pattern of this world” that is too busy, too materialistic, too entitled, too entertained and a series of other “too’s”! Be “changed” (literally “morphed”) into God’s culture (which Jesus calls the “Kingdom”). Subscribe to the culture of God that gives generously, loves with good deeds, moves to a poorer neighbourhood to make a difference, breathes out forgiveness… And here’s the thing: as you step into God’s culture, you’ll make yourself more attuned to his voice (as you’ll already be doing his will!).

Respond in Prayer

Father, “morphing” is not just tweaking, or fixing a little thing about me. Morphing is the stuff of caterpillar into butterfly! Today I ask for your strength, healing and courage to be morphed more into your culture as I morph out of my prevailing culture.

Cliff Fletcher