Sacrifice Wey Dey Alive

Smoke dey rise from altars all over Rome. Every day, from temple to temple, dem dey offer animals to di gods. And Paul write to di believers there: God want sacrifice too. But no be dat kind. Na you e want.

For eleven chapters of im letter to di Romans, Paul don dey explain di mercy of God. How all people don go wrong. How Jesus die and rise again. How God dey make people right with imself through faith, Jews and Gentiles together, and e dey give dem im Spirit. Now Paul turn corner. If all dis one true, e talk, see how to live. Di church for Rome na small small groups wey dey meet for houses, people from different backgrounds wey no always find am easy with one another. So Paul talk di matter plain, for everyday life.

So I dey beg una, my brothers, because of di mercy of God, make una offer una body as sacrifice wey dey alive, holy, wey God go accept, because na dis one be una correct worship. No be dead animal for altar, but your whole self wey dey alive: your hands, your legs, your words, your days. And no follow di pattern of dis world, but make una change by di way God dey make una mind new. No allow di world squeeze you enter im own shape. Allow God change you from inside, so dat you go find wetin im good will be. And no think say you big pass how you suppose think, Paul talk. Because di church be like body. One body, many parts, each one get different work, and all of dem belong to one another.

God dey give different gifts. If your own na to talk im message, use am with faith. If na to serve, serve. If na to teach, teach. If na to encourage, encourage. If na to give, give with open hand. If na to lead, lead with care. If na to show mercy, do am with happy heart. Then Paul give one list of how love be, quick and bright, like line of lights. Make love be real, no be pretend. Hate wetin evil. Hold wetin good. Love one another like family. Try to pass one another for showing honour. Make your spiritual fire continue to burn. Rejoice for hope, dey patient for trouble, dey faithful for prayer. Share with God people wey dey in need. Dey welcome strangers: open your door.

And then di hardest part. Bless di people wey dey persecute you: bless, no curse. Ask God make e do good to di same people wey dey hurt you. Rejoice with di people wey dey rejoice, and cry with di people wey dey cry. Dey happy when your friend win, even if you lose. Sit down near person wey dey cry. Live for peace with one another. No carry yourself high; make friends with ordinary people. No pay anybody back evil for evil. If e possible, as much as e dey your hand, live for peace with everybody. No take revenge; leave am for God. If your enemy dey hungry, give am food. If e dey thirsty, give am water drink. And di last line of di chapter gather everything together. No allow evil to overcome you, but overcome evil with good.

Rome get big Jewish community long before any Christian reach there. Di Jewish writer Philo of Alexandria, wey live di same time as Paul, talk say plenty of di Jews for Rome dey live for di big area wey dey across di River Tiber. Most of di first believers for Rome fit don come from dat community and from di Gentiles wey dey mix with dem. Dem no dey meet for church buildings, but for houses and workshops, and na why di things wey Paul talk about welcoming people and sharing matter well well.

Sacrifice wey dey alive. You go find am for Romans chapter twelve. One whole life wey dem give to God, wey dey show for ordinary love: to bless, to share, to welcome, to cry and rejoice with others, to overcome evil with good. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Who be one person wey you fit overcome with good dis week, instead of to pay am back?