Now that we’ve been redeemed, we consider our response. Worship! In the Bible, over and over again, God moves in some form of redemption (as a response to sin) and then the people receiving this gift move in some form of response. This response is seemingly dependent upon the understanding of the recipient of God’s movement – from sacrifice to action. If they understood God, they responded well (think Abram leaving Canaan) and if they didn’t quite get God, they responded poorly (think Jephthah or Cain). This response is called worship – and some forms of worship are pure, while others have other motives.

Paul beckons us to respond to God’s salvation by BECOMING the sacrifice. We have been purchased by Christ, so our response is to surrender in worship, daily, as a response to Him. We should think, act and speak differently because of God’s goodness. No longer are we to go the way of the world (conforming), but to start to live God’s way, being transformed by Him. Only then will we know God’s will for our life. We will start to live His way! Sure one can “act” like a Christian and “do good things.” But being a follower of Jesus means that we are responding to God’s first move, not the other way around. This is key for us as followers.

Paul then shows that we are a part of a new body – the body of Christ. We each have a part! (v3-8)

Then he shows us what genuine faith looks like – we are genuinely loving, abhorring evil, honoring one another, hoping on God, and on and on and on (check v9-21). This is what worship looks like. Are you a follower? Are you a worshipper?