This seems to be a question that is always asked from the beginning of the resurrection of Jesus time. What do we do now?
Man has been asking questions, theorizing the who’s and what for’s ever since. I for once believe that there was a reason for this.
It is almost like when something happens to us in our lives, and we ask why did that happen? We will let it ponder in us to ‘blame’,or reason on why it could of happen to us. It is a monumental moment to find what the reason was to the incident to us. It could be days,months,or years before the logical understanding of why ‘it’ happened.
I believe this is what happened to the believers of the ‘way’ and their Messiah. What was the reason for Christ’s dying on a cross, and then rising up out of a grave and coming to life and showing his humanness to his followers.
If there was one question, there was a thousand questions to be asked.
Followers of the ‘Messiah’ were perplexed and bewildered of what to do or say in there Savior’s death and then a amazing resurrection. Why did Jesus die? Why did He arise? Even Jesus’s disciples were in awe to what it meant.
It seems that we are still asking these things to ourselves and to others. Our reasoning of the situation, has baffled us even with the theologians and their exegesis of the scriptures. It is this that we need to bring in the context of the times and what it meant for them.
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
These two verses in Romans is a strong hint in what we are to do because of Jesus’s death and resurrection for all believers. This Apoplectic event was a ‘life’ changing moment in the life of mankind. It was/is a life changing alternative that will effect us all.
These verses, if we look close at them, will give us hints of what changed because of Christ’s death and resurrection. These two verses have the influence of the old covenant’s example to be used as a blueprint for the new.
Let’s start first with the middle of the first verse, “to present your bodies a living and Holy sacrifice,”, the ‘concept’ of a sacrifice is one used for the people to give in the old covenant was for their daily forgiveness of their transgressions. The bulls,lambs,goats were the sacrifices that were used then to accomplice this task. Christ was the ‘High Priest’ that gave ‘His’ own sacrifice as one that was the ‘High Priest’ in the Temple, giving a sacrifice for Israel’s whole nation. It is in ‘this’ sacrifice that has led to what our next step is to be. Christ’s example for us to follow as it was in the covenant of old.
This is to be the Holy and ‘acceptable’ vocation for us to follow. This ‘way’ is to be our daily spiritual Worship. It is not anymore to be a one of a human way to ‘sacrifice’ animals for our transgressions, but one of ‘our’ living the life of a ‘Holy’ one, We are now ‘white’,blemish free,Holy, as ‘like’ if we were Holy enough to go into the Holy of Holies. As if maybe we were now, a ‘Priestly’ one to be considered.
Spiritual Service of Worship. This tale statement at the end of verse one is one completing the thought. This small but powerful thought is also a ‘new’ vocation. This is changing of the ways of worship from the bringing the ‘animal sacrifices’, to actually ‘being’ the sacrifice in our ‘living’ as one that is truly ‘Holy’ and righteous, and a representative of Christ.
What this means, is somewhat hard to ‘see’ because we have been stuck in our ways. We are still in our ‘old’ ways of the old covenant. Our ‘worship’ has been hijacked into the believing that our ‘worship’ is still confined to the inside of a temple! Our vocation was and is to be a light among the darkness into the whole world.
Which brings us to the 2nd verse that I believe is the most troubling one that we have failed to utilize in our journey of Christ. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” We have not been transformed by the renewing of our minds! It is this that is not completing the union with Christ and his body. Our minds have not been ‘changed’ into that believing and ‘knowing’ God’s eternal purpose of his body. We are not transformed into ‘knowing’ Christ’s body and it’s function. The function of the body of Christ is intertwined together with the Head. It is made up of the same ‘Spirit’ and eternal purpose that God instituted.
The ‘will’ of God is not for the human way but for the Spirit led way of God. This an important thing to remember in our vocation, it is not in our humanly ways but in God’s New Kingdom it is God’s Spirit that drives our Lives.
We are not to put ‘New Wine’ into Old skins for it will only tear the old one apart!(paraphrased)
Is this what we are doing in Christianity?
The Eternal Purpose 