Set Apart

“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. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  (Romans 12:1-2a)

I read somewhere that the trick to living as a Christian in an increasingly-pagan world, is to “have your boat in the water, but no water in your boat.” I like this! As I write this, I’m sitting on the “Livia”, one of the Bluebridge ferries, crossing Cook Strait en-route to Wellington. As I look out the window, watching the horizon move up and down, and feeling a little bit queasy, the analogy is alive in my mind.

This world can feel like choppy waters. We can’t help but have our boats in the water - there’s nowhere else for us to live! But we get to choose whether or not to allow any of the water on board. Another helpful quote I’ve read says that it’s not the water around the ship that causes it to sink, it’s the water that gets inside.

Paul wrote to the young Christian church in Rome and urged them to set themselves apart for God, as a living sacrifice. So many people immerse themselves in the prevailing culture, not realising that they’re taking on water and their lives are sinking ships. But as Christians, we’re called to pay careful attention to the good, healthy boundaries our Lord has given, and choose to live within them, resisting the temptation to adopt the patterns of the world.

Paul’s letter to Rome spans 16 chapters. For the first 11, he carefully outlines the Gospel, magnifying Christ’s sacrifice and all it means for us. Then, he begins the twelfth chapter by saying, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy…” In other words, in light of the amazing grace of God for you in Christ, choose now to live your lives set apart for Him. Why? Because it’s true and proper. Other translations say “reasonable”. This is what makes sense, given all that God has done for you.

May the Lord make clear His will for your life and give you the strength and courage to live set apart for Him. The waters get rocky, but with Christ as the Captain of your ship, you’re in good hands - He knows how to get you to the eternal Safe Haven He’s prepared for you. He’s well worthy of sacrificing your life for Him, because He sacrificed His for you.

-Ps. Nigel