The other morning I read from Romans 12:1, a familiar passage to me. "Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship." I've read that verse a hundred times, and the word that always struck me was "sacrifices." We are to offer ourselves as sacrifices. But that word didn't strike me this time as the most important in the verse. The word this time that bounced back at me from the page was "living."
We all know that the early disciples and apostles and the early church believers were persecuted, most of them killed in gruesome ways, because of their faith in Christ. So often the church and parachurch ministries hone in on the sacrifice of these believers. "They were the great ones in the faith," I've heard proclaimed from pulpits. "We need to be able to die for Jesus like them." We've all no doubt heard enough of this kind preaching.
But I don't think that's how it went down. I don't think those brothers and sisters just clenched their teeth and bared it, willing themselves to go through the torture and death and all of that. I think they found and latched themselves to a secret, and I think that secret was life. I think they had begun really living, and living more and more in the Kingdom, so that when the time came for them to choose something else there's no way they could. They had tasted, and were now wasted, for life, the real thing, the full deal. They didn't choose death at all; they chose life.
And I think the law of the Spirit of life in Christ works like that. It's easy not to steal, but it's a quite different thing to give generously out of a full heart. It's easy not to murder, but it's another thing to love someone to death. It's easy not to curse God, but it's another thing entirely to walk intimately with Him. That's the work of the Spirit within; that's the work of Christ and the New Covenant.
That's what is happening in me. I am to be a living sacrifice, a living icon, a walking, breathing, loving, living Friend of God. In all the beautiful and often painful and wonderful ways that can look, that's what I'm becoming… a living being, walking more fully into that new life in God.
My journey with Christ for the first year was like Lazarus hearing Jesus call his name from somewhere outside the dark tomb. When he heard Jesus' voice, I imagine Lazarus started feeling electricity running again through his arms and legs. His eyes opened and tried to adjust to the darkness of the tomb. He sat up. He stood. He began stumbling his way to the tomb entrance. He came alive the moment Jesus spoke his name. But he was still in the tomb. He was still wrapped in death shrouds.
Lazarus then came toward the entrance and stepped into the blinding light. The disciples came over to help unwrap Lazarus from the shrouds so that he could walk again. That's where I've been over the last couple of years… until recently.
Now I'm hearing Jesus' invitation to walk with Him, to ride with Him, to "soar where the eagles are scared to fly," as Josh Young's song has it. That's what I want, that's what I'm after. My heart is very much alive, and His blood has covered so many wounds to make me whole. The death shrouds have largely been removed and I'm stretching my muscles in the light of the new day. Now life begins. Now the invitation is heeded. Now the desire born deeply in me years ago is spoken to, drawn out, and set free to take me to God.
This weekend I took a walk at the Falls, this area just south of town where the river forms a waterfall that stretches about 50 yards long and 20 feet high. The bedrock along the bank is rugged and rough, with fissures and crevasses formed by the rushing waters of the river when rains would overfill it and cause it to flood its banks. This day, all was bright sky and cool breeze and the hammering song of the water forming a backdrop to the event, while I explored the area with my trusty iPod as a companion. I had tuned into some worship, unsure at first whether I should just listen to the music of the falls or sing along with Josh Young. I gave into the latter, and tuned into his song, "Can You Feel It." It was answer for me from the heart of God in response to my question to him that day, "Who am I becoming?"
Here are the lyrics, with emphasis placed on the portion that pierced me especially with God's response:
All across the world
The river is flowing.
There's a passion that's growing
For the things we have not seen.
All across the world
the Spirit is moving.
There's a sound that's resounding
in the hearts of you and me
Can you feel it?
The rain is falling
Children dancing
Freedom's shining down
Can you feel it?
It's a celebration
The Father's laughin'
He's drawing us to Him
Can you feel it?
Inside our hearts
A new life is growing.
There's a warrior that's rising
With a need to be free.
Can you feel it?
The rain is falling
Children dancing
Freedom's shining down
Can you feel it?
It's a celebration
The Father's laughin'
He's drawing us to Him
Can you feel it?
