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February 16, 2024
- By Ed Powell
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"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2
Paul has presented in the first 11 chapters of Romans the deplorable condition of man, who is lost, without hope, without God, and the victim of his own sinful choices. God made provision for his sin through Christ, and reconciliation with God through His grace. In Chapter 12, he says, because of all that Christ has done for you, and in you, the most reasonable thing you can do is to "present your bodies a living sacrifice unto God." But how can we do this? Paul makes it very clear.
"Be not conformed to this world." What does he mean by that? Simply, don't be conformed to its systems, squeezed into its mold, and fashioned after or confined to its pattern or superficial customs. Don't be engulfed with the evaluations and priorities that the world places on "things." Many things put us in bondage when Satan infiltrates our lives, deceives our thinking, and controls our attitudes. We become victims of worldly schemes that are under his control. This world has as its main goals fortune, fame, power, and pleasure. The problem with these goals is that "man makes them the consuming objects of his life." His life comes under their control and is corrupted by their influence. The goals that he is pursuing cannot satisfy the deep longing of his soul, or glorify God, when He is not the foremost priority. "There is a way which seems right unto man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Proverbs 14:12).
Paul says, "But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Now, how can we be transformed? How can we have a renewed mind? Certainly not by anything "we" can do. We cannot achieve nor generate a radical change from one nature and life to another. This is solely the work of the Holy Spirit. It is for us to respond to the Spirit's probing and awakening us to the surrender of our will to His lordship. Then, as we yield our lives to His control, respond to His leading, and live day by day in submission to His will, He begins the process of "conforming us to the image of His Son" (Romans 6:29).
The "renewing" of our minds and the "transforming" of our lives are elements in "becoming" like Christ. And what is the purpose for such a life? It is to be conformed to His image. He has saved us "that we may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." And how can we do this? By letting CHRIST RULE ON THE THRONE OF OUR LIFE! He wants to live His Life through us. Paul said, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5). What was the mind of Christ? It was complete submission to the will of the Father. It is when our entire thinking process takes on a new perspective. We no longer think within the boundaries of pleasing ourselves, but we are wholly desirous of pleasing the Lord. When He is the Sovereign of our lives, He will renew our minds, transform our lives, and control the process of conforming our lives to the image of His Son so "that we may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God"!
© 2007 by Ed Powell. Used by permission.
This page was reprinted by permission from: http://litmin.org/dare.php?date=2024-02-16&print=1
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