https://odb.org/2024/09/24/together
Romans 12:1-2 & 4 – 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform 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 isk—his good, pleasing, and perfect will. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
In the world, many bring sacrifices to gods in the hope of mercy and blessings. Sometimes, it is also to atone for sin. Ancient Israel was in a similar place. They offer an unblemished lamb for the LORD to overlook their sins and transgressions. Jesus changed all that when He became the Lamb of God who took all the sins of mankind and thus, by His stripes, we are healed of our sins and transgressions with God (Isaiah 53:5). Then, it became blessings, grace, and mercy first, and we, in return, respond in sacrifice with our lives as a living sacrifice for God. As part of our living sacrifice unto God, we live a holy and righteous life. We give tithes and offerings for the expansion of His Kingdom, and we serve him faithfully to the best of our God-given talents and giftings.
Integral to our living sacrifice, like a schedule is an integral part of the main body of an agreement, is the community of believers in the local church that we belong to. It is a community that we are a part of, sharing our lives together as we serve one another and grow together in maturity in Christ. Thus, as believers, we can not live in isolation to the people of our church. We are of the same body of Christ with many members, and yet we are one in Christ. There is no such thing as a lone Christian practising his faith on his own in seclusion, separated from the main body.
Therefore, because of God’s mercy and grace in Christ Jesus, we are reconciled with God, we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, not conforming to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. So in Christ, we, though many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Our faith is personal and yet collective. We are individuals, but we are a part of a community of believers, and we belong to one another. We worship and serve God together. We fulfil His plans and purposes for our lives together. We have our own lanes in our walk of faith, and yet we are in this together.
Ronnie's Thoughts 