Week 52 - Free Weekend Program for Street & Vulnerable Children

Text: Romans 12 : 1-5

Theme: Living According to Our Faith

Verse 1 “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him."

As believers, we are members of the same family—brothers and sisters. We must see each other as God sees us. God speaks to us in a loving way, not with threats, terror, or fear. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). God’s love for us is unconditional and eternal. Our redemption is complete and final; it cannot be lost or reversed. The price for our freedom has been paid—Christ paid it all with His blood, with His own life (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Now, God is pleading with us to live for Him, not for ourselves. We should give our bodies to God because of all He has done for us. Our obedience doesn't add anything to God; it adds nothing to the atonement, it is not a sacrifice for sin. Nothing we do can add anything to the finished work of Christ. Our obedience is for the good of our souls, it gives us the opportunity of enjoying the benefits we already have in Christ. Through obedient, we enjoy the fruits of salvation, which the Lord already purchased with His blood. God wants us to enjoy life more abundantly, this is why He says “come! All things are ready. Luke 14:17

To enjoy life more abundantly is to have the fruit of the Spirit—love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, self-control, meekness, gentleness, etc. These are the priceless ornaments that beautifies a Christian, making her extremely attractive. God is deeply invested in our good, the good of our eternal souls. It’s like your mom saying, "Brush your teeth every morning." It’s your teeth, not hers. She says, "Take a bath, get used to doing this twice daily," because it is for your own good. Similarly, God is asking us to honor Him with our bodies.

In Romans 6:13, we are instructed, "Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God." For example, our mouths should speak truth to the praise and glory of God; we shouldn't use them for lies, gossip, and slander. Don’t give your eyes to watching nakedness and lust on TV and the internet. Switch the channel, turn it off, or leave the place.

As young girls, don’t let a man touch your body by the corner or marry a man outside your faith because he bought you suya, shawarma, a phone, etc., and has promised to give employment to your brother, give your mother money to start a business, pay your father's hospital bill, etc. That is prostitution. You are not the saviour of your family—Christ is!

Honor God by obeying His word. "Buy truth and do not sell it" (Proverbs 23:23). This means paying attention to the Gospel, spending time hearing and learning it, and not compromising God’s word for anything, even if it means death. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are great examples for us (Daniel 3:16-28).

As Christians, our sins dishonour God, it grieves the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Sin should bring tears to our eyes because it grieves God. God wants us to use our bodies in doing what is right to the praise of His name. He wants us to honour Him with our bodies, presenting them as living sacrifices acceptable to Him.

A living sacrifice means honouring God not for atonement or forgiveness of sin but because we have Christ, we have full salvation and the help of the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is working in and through you. In contrast, a dead sacrifice, which is the same as dead religion, is offensive to God. It doesn’t depend on Christ, it devices it’s own way for atonement; like animal sacrifice, human sacrifice, penance in form of restitution and more.

Some so called churches practice the act of “redeeming” the first sons to deliver family from generational curse. Others are offering religious sacrifices like the Catholic mass to atone for the sins of their dead loved ones. These are nothing, but self-righteous pride, wickedly parading itself for the praise and honour of self. "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord" (Proverbs 15:8). A wicked person is someone who rejects the glorious gospel of Christ and scorns His redemptive blood, striving instead to gain righteousness by self-effort.

Christ has made us perfect by His sacrifice and when sins have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary Hebrews 10:18. A life of faith in Christ, bears fruit by the power of the Holy Spirit, this is pleasing to God. John 15:8

Verse 2-3 "Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

"Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us."

Our natural mindset is built on the ways of this world, which is contrary to God’s word. The word of God changes everything. We learn God’s ways through His word. As we study and listen to God’s word through scripture, gospel preaching—sermons, Bible study, and hymns—our minds are constantly being renewed and changed.

I used to laugh about gossip and joke about it, but after reflecting on a preacher’s message about the seriousness of sin, “Surely none but fools can make a mock at sin. Sin converted the angels of light into powers of darkness. One particle of sin has infinite evil in it,” I stopped laughing and began to ask God for mercy and help. God’s word is at work in us, renewing our minds and making us more like Christ. "But we all, with unveiled faces, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

A lion cannot give birth to a cockroach; believers are sons of God, we have the Spirit of Christ Romans 8: 11; we are increasingly becoming more and more like Him in thoughts words and deeds. We will all be like Him when we finally see Him. However, not everyone is at the same level of spiritual maturity, though we are all sons and equals before God.

So, be honest with yourself about where you are and the help you need, and go to God for it. Don’t compare yourself to others and think you are better than them—Christ is the standard, not your brother, sister, or any sinner out there. "We wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!" (2 Corinthians 10:12).

Self-importance is useless. Our faith and abilities are gifts from God. We must not neglect our gifts; rather, we should use them to serve others, giving thanks to God and avoiding pride. It’s okay to protect ourselves from abuse, which is why we give thanks continually for our gifts, trusting that the Lord will use them for His glory and for the good of our soul and those of other people.

Verse 4-5 "Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body.

We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other."

We Christians (believers) are the body of Christ, also known as the church. Christ is the head, and we are individual members of His body, intrinsically united and interconnected. We are called to support and encourage one another. If one member is hurting, others should offer comfort and help. If one is rejoicing, others should celebrate with them. This shows our unity, diversity, and mutual care as one body. By appreciating and putting to use everyone's unique gifts, we work together effectively to the glory of God. The Lord said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

You may ask, how do I know my gift? You will find that you do some things well and with ease and God causes them to bear fruit; He makes them succeed. You are happy to do it when no one is looking or applauding. It is a gift from God. Thank Him for it and use it to serve others.

“God has given everyone a portion of faith through the Spirit. It’s not something we can generate or stir up ourselves. The more faith we have, the more humble we become; the less we have, the more humble we should be. Though we have various gifts, we are one body. Cherish one another, avoid despising or envying each other. Utilize your gifts, don’t let them go to waste—serve God and His people. Live so that others may come to know Christ. “

Heshimu Colar