we can afford to be good rom 12 1-13
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22nd Sunday of the Year 28 aug 2011
Dr Lutz Ackermann (Christ Church, Polokwane)
We can afford to be good
(Rom 12;1-13)
[show store ad bulletin] I sometimes get these. You know what it is. It
is made like a little newspaper, but it contains special offers from a
store. If I look at it I seem many things I like (TV, blackberry); so I
can say I would like to have that. But when I go to the store I
realize, I cannot buy it. I do not have enough money. I look in my
pocket [take out R10] not enough money. On my bank account
not enough money. So I realize I cannot buy this or that, because I
cannot affordit. The prices are written here, but I cannot afford to pay
them.
But imagine, one day I get the paper with the adverts and it says zero
Rand everywhere. Maybe on top: this week it is all for free. Mahala.
(not with strings attached, but really). If that would happen, I couldafford to buy not only the TV and the phone but on top of that some
chocolates. When something is for free, we can afford them.
How is it in or lives with God? If I had to pay for being a Christian I
could not affordit! If I had to buy my own salvation if I had to pay
to be saved I could not afford it! If there were a price tag on my
new life with Christ I dont know how much it would be, but I
would not be able to pay for it. Not with good works; not by being a
faithful Christian, coming to Church every Sunday, being very
religious (baptism, communion); not by singing to the choir, serving
in the church, not even by giving a tithe to the church! Why? Because
I cannot afford it! Life is too precious, we cannot afford it. Why is
that so?
2011 DR LUTZ ACKERMANN CHRIST CHURCH, POLOKWANE
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In the New Testament we can read the letter, which the Apostel Paul
wrote to the Romans. He explains it like this. He says, none of us is
good enough for God; no matter how much we try (love God and
neighbour etc) it is not enough. There is nothing, absolutely nothingwe can do to impress God. No matter how good we are we can
never impress God!
Its like a broken plate that needs to be fixed [show broken plate]. Just
press together wont help, no matter how hard you press (even glue-
stick doesnt help). If this is God and this is us, there is a
problem: the two are not together. The Apostel Paul calls that sin. It
is something that affects all people, every single one of us. And the
bad thing is that out of sin comes death. In fact, he says
For sin pays its wage---death (Rom 6:23)
Imagine, instead of your wages, all you would get is death! People
sometimes strike, because they want an increase on their wages (and
so many per cent is not enough). But no one would say: I want more
of that, if all they get is death.
Life is too precious, we cannot afford it. But luckily, the verse I just
read goes on a bit:
For sin pays its wage---death; but God's free gift is eternal
life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 6:23)
If life with God is a gift, it is free, ke mahala. If it is free, we canafford to live with God! Sin can no longer separate us from God,
because Jesus has paid the price for us. We could never afford it, but
God has already paid it all, when he gave his only son for us. So life
life with God and life forGod is a free gift. And if it is free, we can
afford it! Have you received this free gift, have you received Jesus?
2011 DR LUTZ ACKERMANN CHRIST CHURCH, POLOKWANE
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But there is more. In the text we read today, Paul tells us that we can
live transformed lives (Rm 12:2). Transform means change [take
some Presstik and show how you can change its shape]. And Paul
says, often the shape of our lives is like the shape of the world aroundus [press Presstik against some mold; let someone youth! feel it
and guess what the object was]. Is this world good; yes, but not good
enough. There are wonderful things in life, but there are also bad
things. Crime and violence not good! Fighting with those we love
most not good! Being greedy, being selfish not good. Lying,
stealing, gossiping not good. Hating others, not forgiving them not
good! And we can go on. That is exactly the pattern, the shape of thisworld.
But Paul says, as Christians we can afford to be different. When
someone does not know God and tries to be different than this world,
he or she may pay a high price. He or she may have to make many
sacrifices. And s/he may find out, it is just too much that is asked of
me. I cannot afford it! I cannot afford to be different, to live
differently that everyone else does! But remember, in our life with
God, God has already paid the bill! We can afford it! We can afford to
live different from the world. If God has forgiven us all, everything,
all that we ever owed God then we can afford to forgive others!
(Jesus tells a story about this, Mt 18: 21-35).
The Apostle Paul says, it starts with the way we think(Rm 12:2). If
we think, all the time: I cannot afford this! I cannot afford to bedifferent than everyone else is, the price is too high than we wont!
We wont change for the better. But if we allow God to change the
way we think, then it is a different matter! Then we will think: I can
afford to be different for Gods sake (fGs)
Where others cheat (fGs) I can affordto be an honest person
(Mt 5:8).
2011 DR LUTZ ACKERMANN CHRIST CHURCH, POLOKWANE
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Where others respond to violence with violence (fGs) I can
affordto live peacefully and forgiving (Mt 5:9).
Where others live like they can never get enough, always run for
more (fGs) I can affordto live a simple life (Mt 5:3).
Where others think about themselves and about their own
advantage (fGs) I can afford to care for others, love my
neighbour as myselves (Mt 5:7). Even to share with others my
homes, my live (Rm 12:13)
Where others are complacent and dont want to be the whistleblowers (fGs) I can afford to engage in a struggle against
injustice of all sorts (Mt 5:4).
Where others tell everyone, how big and important they are
(fGs) I can affordto be humble (Rm 12:3; Mt 5:5).
Where others harbour bad feelings against certain people in their
heart (fGs) I can affordto forgive (Mt 5:8)
And so on. But how does this work?, we may ask. Well, in that
passage from Romans, which we read earlier, Paul speaks about two
things. One is a new way of thinking. [rewriting our mind]. But of
course we do not only thinkabout being different; we have to actually
live it. Paul says, offer yourselves, your bodies, your whole life to
God. You know this verse very well, because we always say it at the
end of the Eucharist (APB, p129 par 88). When we change our
thinking, our whole lives will change. When we say: (fGs) we can
afford to be good, we can! But its not just about saying we can
but about actually living it!
Paul calls that a sacrifice. Now that is a dangerous word. We can
easily misunderstand it. Remember, there is nothing we can ever be or
2011 DR LUTZ ACKERMANN CHRIST CHURCH, POLOKWANE
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do to impress God. Some slaughter a goat as a sacrifice; some make
other sacrifices in their lives, and they think that buys them new life
with God; forgiveness; salvation. No!
Its the other way around. Thats why Paul starts the whole thing
talking about Gods great mercy first of all, before he even
mentions sacrifice (v1). Yes, our whole lives are supposed to be a
sacrifice to God. But that only works, if we accept Gods free gift to
us the new life. If we try to sacrifice our old lives to God it wont
work. But when God has given us new life, we can live to his praise
and glory.
{if time: we are not alone in this; though we are many we are one
body (v5); though we are one different, we can afford to live in unity;
so serve in different ways (v4-8)}.
So let me ask you two questions:
Do you have the new life that God promises us? It is a free gift!
Or are you still getting the wages of sin every month? Have youexperienced for yourself that Jesus has paid for you anything
that ever is to be paid for? Have you accepted Gods free gift,
Jesus? If not, do you want to do it today?
Do you know that you can afford to be good and to do good
fGs! Or do you still think and live like this broken world thinks
and lives? You can ask God to day to rewrite your mind. You
can decide to give yourself as a living sacrifice to God. Not to
impress God you cant do that. But you can say, God because
you are so merciful to me, I can afford to give my life and live
the way you want me to live.
2011 DR LUTZ ACKERMANN CHRIST CHURCH, POLOKWANE
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Maybe, as we say and pray this in the Eucharist, you can affirm it for
yourself. May we, by the grace and mercy of God live new lives,
renewed lives that give God all the glory! Amen.
2011 DR LUTZ ACKERMANN CHRIST CHURCH, POLOKWANE