Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The living sacrifice

12 So, my dear family, this is my appeal to you by the mercies of God: offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. That’s what properly thought-out worship looks like. ² What’s more, don’t let yourselves be squeezed into the shape dictated by the present age. Instead, be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you can work out what God’s will is, what is good, acceptable and complete.

³ Through the grace which was given to me, I have this to say to each one of you: don’t think of yourselves more highly than you ought to think. Rather, think soberly, in line with faith, the true standard which God has marked out for each of you. ⁴ As in one body we have many limbs and organs, you see, and all the parts have different functions, ⁵ so we, many as we are, are one body in the Messiah, and individually we belong to one another.

Living together in the Messiah

⁶ Well then, we have gifts that differ in accordance with the grace that has been given to us, and we must use them appropriately. If it is prophecy, we must prophesy according to the pattern of the faith. ⁷ If it is serving, we must work at our serving; if teaching, at our teaching; ⁸ if exhortation, at our exhortation; if giving, with generosity; if leading, with energy; if doing acts of kindness, with cheerfulness.