RENEWED MIND
Romans 12:1-2
INTRODUCTION:
HOW WE THINK IS A REALLY BIG DEAL.
Do you ever struggle with your thought life?
Do you ever struggle with immoral thoughts, or angry thoughts, or vindictive thoughts?
Do you battle with feelings and thoughts that seem judgmental and critical of others?
Or, maybe for you it’s jealous thoughts? Or envious thoughts?
Or maybe you’re someone who struggles with self-defeating thoughts. Always putting yourself down and thinking everyone is out to get you.
Or maybe you’re your mind is dominated by worry and fear.
Listen, there are a lot of thoughts that tend to go through our minds — and many of them are detrimental to our faith — and lead us down the wrong paths.
TRANSITION:
Well, throughout the Bible, God repeatedly calls us to give attention to the way we think.
In Proverbs 4:23, Solomon tells us:
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
The word ‘heart’ in this passage really refers to that inner place in our lives — that place where our thoughts are conceived.
What Solomon is saying is, “Protect what you allow to enter into your mind, because your thoughts will lead you. They will determine who you become.”
As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said:
“Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.”
MESSAGE:
In Romans 12:1, Paul says,
1 Therefore…
Let’s pause here for just a moment — because, before we get to deep into this….I want to explain the significance of this word.
As Paul writes this chapter — he starts with the word “Therefore.” And that’s because — this is a transition. It’s a word of action. A Word of change. And that’s because, the Christian life always has a therefore in it!
Walking with Jesus will always lead you to action. A connection with Jesus will always take you somewhere. Walking with Him always brings you to a place where you will be called to act upon what you’ve discovered. Paul understand this — and in this book (Romans), he uses the word “Therefore” 4 times. And each serves as a call to shift or transition in the way we are living and thinking (moving from an downward focus to an upward focus).
There are four transitional therefores within this book (in Chps. 3, 5, 8, and 12). And, this may be the most important one…because it calls us to change our thinking.
So again, Paul says…
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
Paul says, “Don’t be conformed to the pattern of this world that goes all over the place, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Friends, if you want to change the direction of your life, you’ve got to start by changing the way you think, because your strongest thoughts are going to lead you wherever you are thinking. If you are thinking over here, it’s going to lead you that way. We’ve got to change our minds if we want to change the trajectory of our lives.
Paul says this to the Romans, “Don’t be conformed, but be transformed.”
It’s interesting what he says before that. He says, “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, because this is your true and proper worship.” Paul is speaking, writing to the Roman church, which is a bunch of Greek people who grew up with a certain philosophy.
The pattern of thinking that they grew up with was called platonic thought or platonic philosophy from the philosopher Plato. Have you heard of him?
What they understood, how they viewed the world, the lens with which they viewed the world was this, through platonic dualism, which meant — they saw the material world as bad and they saw the spiritual world as good.
Material, bad. Bodies, bad. All that stuff. All the material, bad. But…all things that were spiritual, were good.
So, when Paul says to them, when he says, “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, this is your true and proper worship,” this blows their mind because they’re like, “Whoa! I thought our bodies were bad. God wants them? God cares about them?”
And Paul says, “Yes. Don’t be conformed to the old pattern of thinking, the pattern that the world thinks in. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
And that’s the same message to you and me today too. So, don’t think in that old platonic dualism, because God made everything. God made your bodies and your mind and your heart and your soul and your spirit. He made all of it and he wants you to direct it towards him.
He’s changing the way that they think so they can worship God more fully. He’s saying don’t be conformed to that old way of thinking, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
I think the life lessons of this passage are clear. First of all, Paul says — If you want to learn to honor God and worship Him properly, then:
#1 REFUSE CONFORMITY!
In verse 2, Paul says,
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world…
Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
We must recognize the need to reject our old mindset, our old ways, our old thoughts and perspective. It’s what many have referred to as our “stinkin’ thinkin’.”
JB Phillips takes verse 2, and translates the negative command this way. Don’t let the world squeeze you into its own mold.
For Star Wars fans, we could say Don’t become a clone trooper for the Empire.
Now that’s not easy to do. Have you ever tried to swim upstream? It’s not easy…and it’s shocking for our culture when we do.
Peter tells us in 1 Peter 4:4,
“They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you.”
1 Peter 4:4 (NIV)
Understand, it is dangerous to live like the world…so do t do it. Live differently. Commit to a constant refusing of the worlds ways.
Several of the authors of the New Testament warn against the dangers of bringing the world’s thinking and habits into our lives. And they call us to reject the conformity. So, rather than living like the world, we are to live differently. But that won’t happen unless we reject the temptation to thinking like the world thinks.
According to Proverbs 27:3, “As a man thinks — so is He.” So, where our mind goes, we go. We tend to follow the path of our thinking.
If we are not intentional about how we think, about what we think…then our thinking will likely lead us towards a conformity to the patterns of this world.
When the Bible speaks of “the world,” it is referring to those value systems and ways of life that are in contradiction with God and His Word.
In 1 John 2:16, John describes this future when he writes,
“For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”
1 John 2:16 (NIV)
As believers, God has called us live separate from the world. So, while we are surrounded by a society that reflects a lower standard and lesser values, we are to shape our lives and our values by God’s standard — a much higher standard.
You know, in many ways — worldliness is like gravity, always around you, always exerting its pressure. You must resist it because your spiritual life and health depend on it.
I read this week, where someone wrote: “One of the greatest revelations of my life is: I can choose my thoughts and think things on purpose. I don’t have to just think about whatever falls into my mind. This was a life-changing revelation for me. “
Understand, we can live differently. We can resist conforming to the ways of the world — because we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, and He delights in transforming us — and making us NEW!
Which brings us to Paul’s next point. Not only should we REFUSE CONFORMITY…but, we should:
2. RECEIVE TRANSFORMATION!
While God has saved us, He has also assigned us the lifelong responsibility of receiving His continued work of transformation within us.
“…but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Romans 12:2 (NIV)
What Paul says here is incredibly significant — because, he describes the change that God wants to take place in us as massive. He say, be “TRANSFORMED.” And that word, in the Greek language is the word that we get our English word — metamorphic from.
It’s a powerful word, and it’s used several times throughout the New Testament — once in the gospels.
The time that it’s used in the gospels is when Jesus is changed, transformed. Do you remember the story, He gathered his closest companions with Him and they hiked up to the top of the Mount of TRANSFIGURATION.
Jesus goes up with a few of his disciples. And while he’s there and praying, all of the sudden, he’s changed, like hugely changed so that he’s radiant. He’s shining this incredible light that the disciples can’t look at him, and they’re just in awe of Jesus. It’s like the veil has been lifted and they get to see all of God’s glory in Jesus radiating out of him.
That’s the transfiguration! And that’s the same word that Paul uses here.
You need to be metamorphi in your mind. You need to have a mental metamorphosis. You need to be transfigured and transform, not just a little change, but a big change. Metamorphi is the Greek word that we get metamorphosis from, and that’s the process that we used to describe the caterpillar turning into a butterfly. It’s a total change, isn’t it? It goes from this gross little grub that can’t fly anywhere to this beautiful butterfly
That’s the change that happens, right? It’s this transfiguration, this metamorphosis. It’s goes from one thing to a completely different thing. And that’s the word Paul uses. We need that sort of change in our minds, a mental metamorphosis, a change from the inside out.
So again, Paul says — if you want to live your life in honor of God and give Him true and proper worship, then…REFUSE CONFORMITY, RECEIVE TRANSFORMATION And lastly,
3. REROUTE YOUR THINKING!
And, Paul tells us the means by which God transforms our lives is through the power of His Word.
“…be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:2 (NIV)
Paul makes it clear that God longs to see us live differently than this world. But we have an important role to play in this process. While our salvation is solely contingent upon God’s mercy and grace. Our spiritual growth and sanctification have a lot to do with our desire and self-discipline.
If you want to have your mind RENEWED, then you must change the direction of your thinking. Rather than continuing to travel the old worn out paths of your minds past — God calls you to train your mind to travel NEW PATHS!
In Colossians 3:2, Paul addresses this, when he says,
“Set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things…”
Colossians 3:2 (AMP)
So, HOW DO YOU DO THIS? You, feed your mind with truth from God’s word. You saturate your mind with God’s Word. Read it, study it, dwell upon it, memorize it, quote it, discuss it, proclaim it, and learn to love it.
Doing so will cause your mind to begin to travel down the path of Godly thinking — rather than returning to the ruts of ungodly thinking.
And when you do you, you’ll reap the benefits and blessings of it. As David writes in Psalm 1:
“Blessed is the one…whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”
Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV)
When you begin to REROUTE YOUR THINKING — you reap the blessings and benefits of God’s best in your life. And mainly, because…when we think differently — we live differently.
And that’s the desire God for you and me.
When I was a boy — just beginning 7th grade, I signed up for Band. I really had no idea what to expect, I was just excited to learn an instrument. One day my band director (Mr. Bray), handed me a trumpet — and asked me to buzz my lips. I had no clue how to play, I didn’t even know how to hold a trumpet.
But I pursed my lips together and tried to make a buzzing sound. I think I spit and slobbered more than I buzzed — but I was trying. Again, it was all NEW TO ME.
And those first few weeks of playing were hard — and strange for me.
I was an awkward in every sense of the word. But, I wanted to be a musician.
When I first began, I made so many mistakes. Not just with the playing, but with the care of my trumpet too. I dropped it 2-3 times a week. The bell of my first horn was flat — and the tubes were so bent up. It’s amazing that first horn played at all.
But over time, as I put my mind to it, and I practiced buzzing and listening and counting and reading music…over time, something on the inside began to change. I began to understand the concepts. My body began to respond to the things I was learning — and my brain began to direct my hands and lungs and lips to work together.
The daily repetition and practice began to pay off.
I still remember the excitement of learning to play my first scale. It wasn’t perfect, but it was progress. And the more I played, the better I became.
In time, I began to master the art of playing the trumpet.
Instead of just playing a scale, I could read charts, and play real music. And in time, I learned to hear parts and understand melodic lines. In time, I learned to feel the music and I learned to improvise.
What I didn’t know then — was that while I was giving myself to the discipline of practice, my mind began to create NEW PATHS OF KNOWLEDGE within me. Quite literally, as my mind learned new things — it began to create REMAP ITSELF…and redesign the way it worked.
Like a complex command center, my brain began to direct the firing of neurons — allowing my brain to function quicker and better as it processed the MUSICAL INFORMATION it gained.
And what was true for me playing the trumpet — is also true me thinking NEW THOUGHTS.
So, the more we STUDY GOD’S WORD — and DWELL UPON GOD’S WORD — and DISCUSS GOD’S WORD, the more our MINDS WORK to REROUTE OUR THINKING!
And what maybe at one time was a STRANGE THOUGHT — to think about Jesus, and His will, and His work among us…BEGINS TO BECOME OUR NEW NORMAL. And those OLD HABITS and MENTAL PATHWAYS become replaced with NEW THOUGHTS and NEW WAYS OF THINKING.
And the benefit is — over time, we learn to discern God’s Will for our lives. We begin to understand, and flow with the WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT within us!
As Paul put it,
“…be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:2 (NIV)
God wants to free you from the pursuit of the wrong goals, from the destructive habits of your past, and from the empty pursuits of this world. And His plan is to accomplish this, is by RENEWING YOUR MIND through His Word.
MAKE THAT YOUR GOAL — AND YOUR PRAYER TODAY! That’s His plan for you. And that’s my prayer us today.
Invite God to change your hears and RENEW your MINDS…to set you FREE from the traps of this world…and to allow you to experience His BEST?
Conclusion:
Let’s REFRAME OUR THINKING!
If you want to live your life in honor of God and give Him true and proper worship, then…REFUSE CONFORMITY, RECEIVE TRANSFORMATION, and REFRAME YOUR THINKING!