Romans 12:2 – And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Dear Friends,
I’m writing this as a new year dawns, but I trust this message will be relevant at any time throughout the year.
Each of us has a picture in our minds of what we think ‘Reality’ looks like. This picture is like a jigsaw puzzle which we are always working on – adding piece by piece as we learn and grow in our understanding of the world around us. Because of our limited intelligence and extent of knowledge, our Puzzle pictures will always be incomplete and somewhat inaccurate.
God, of course, created the whole puzzle picture, the perfectly accurate image of what is real and true. The Christian, the person who has received Christ and is now indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, is continuously experiencing a “Renewing of the mind” – a reconfiguring of and an adding to – the puzzle picture in the mind of God.
In Romans 12:2, God, through the Apostle Paul, command us not to see things from the world’s viewpoint, with our selves at the center of the puzzle. That mental picture will result in us being pressed into the mold of the self-centered, self-seeking and utterly sinful world around us. We will behave like a typical child of the World, rather than a ‘born-from-above’ child of God (Jn 3:3-16).
The way of Christ is to be transformed (literally “meta-morphed”) into His image by His Holy Spirit within us. The Holy Spirit accomplishes His transforming ministry by teaching us the truth and helping us assemble God’s jigsaw puzzle, piece by piece. This is His supernatural work of “Renewing our Minds” as He guides us through life one step at a time.
The Primary tool used by the Holy Spirit to carry this out is God’s Word (see Hebrews 4;12, 1 Peter 1:23, 2:1-2).
As this New Year begins, or proceeds, won’t you give careful thought as to how God wants you to meaningfully engage in the study of the Scriptures, the Bible, His living and powerful Word, to cooperate with His Holy Spirit’s life-changing work of transformation and renewal?
May God lavishly supply His grace to you,
In Jesus’ Love,
Pastor Tim Sir