This is a benediction that was read aloud this last Sunday by Pastor Rechab Gray. Adapted from Romans 12:9-21….It was super impactful to say this with our community given the times we live in…
Love is…..
Righteous–We won’t conform to say love is love; we will be transformed by the One who is love, and proved it by giving His life for us.
Honoring–We won’t conform to cancel culture; we will be transformed by the debt cancelling King
Zealous–We won’t be conformed to to lukewarm Christianity; we will be transformed by the one Who Baptizes in the heat of the Holy Spirit and in fire!
Persistent–We won’t conform to pessimism and skepticism; we will be transformed by the One who for the joy set before Him endured cross despising the shame.
Generous–We won’t conform to western individuality; but we will be transformed by the One who prayed for Perfect Unity.
Merciful–We won’t conform to cruelty; we will be transformed by One who was driven by Compassion
Empathetic–We won’t conform to religious apathy; we will be transformed by a Jesus who wept over Lazarus.
Humble–We won’t conform to arrogance; we will be transformed by the One who who though He was in the form of God, didn’t count equality with God something to be grasped.
Peaceful–We won’t conform to tribalistic division; we will be transformed by the One who Himself is our peace and made us both One by breaking down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility.
Victorious–We won’t conform to vengeance that repays evil for evil; we will be transformed by the Victor who is the Good that conquered evil. For the payment of sin, or dare I say evil, is death. But the free Gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The One who conquered evil with Good, defeated wickedness with godliness, beat death by living a perfect life. But in order to do so, He had to Himself be associated with evil, and make His death with the wicked. For He made Him who know no sin, to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.