“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. ” -{Romans 12:2}
This Is a Wonderful verse of HOPE. ” And do not be conformed to this world,” molded into its thinking and ways,. The way it is written here is “Stop it,” they were already been formed, molded into the world system, But How are they not to be? “…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.”
Why renew our mind? Because we cannot trust the way we think if if is not governed and guided by truth.
TRUTH IS THE FOUNDATION;
“Your Word is truth, sanctify them with Your Word”-{John 17:17}… “I Am the Truth” -{John 14:6}… “whatever is True … let your mind dwell on it …” -{Phil 4:8}…”Let the word of Christ dwell in you RICHLY, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ” – {Col 3:16}…”Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”- {2 Tim 2:15}
If truth does not guide and govern, then the thinking and pursuits of the world without Christ will !
The Bible is not a devotional, it is the Word of the Living God given to help us know Him and be changed in our thinking, so we may “love The Lord your God with all your … MIND ” -{Matt 22;37} and loving Him with our mind is meant to influence love for Him with our choices and loving Him and love for other people! Thinking RIGHT- on truth- – {Phil 4:8;} Doing Right by Practicing the Truth – {Phil 4:9}. “Man shall not LIVE by bread alone but by EVERY Word that comes forth from the mouth of God”- Jesus Christ! -{Matt 4:4}.
Stay in the Word …Know The God of the Word., Use and Live by the Word! For “If You Continue in My Word Then you shall KNOW the TRUTH AND TRUTH shall Set you FREE….”-{John 8:31-32}
Meditate upon His Word – “BLESSED is the man…whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night. ” -{Psalm 1:1-2}
Do His Word –“But prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”-{James 1:22-25}
Is the world shaping our thinking, goals, values or the Word of God ? It’s Either …Or… The World or HIS Word is Influencing us!
When Jesus was tempted by the evil one what did He use to defeat him? His Word. Three times when tempted He referred to the WORD OF GOD, “it is written…it is written…it is written…” {Matthew 4:4,7,10}. What do you use when tempted to stop from yielding and sinning? When David was confronted by the prophet after committing adultery and having the woman’s husband killed what was his sin ultimately? The prophet asked, “Why did you despise the Word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes?…”{ 2 Sam 12:9}. He had a light attitude and disregard for God’s Word, and it goes on to say “because you have despised Me!”-{v 10}. To despise His Word is in exact proportion to despising Him! His Word is His!
We are Either conforming to This World’s system, ways, or His Word, His Thinking and Ways. How do we move from the one influence of one world to the other? By choosing to be transformed by the renewing of our MIND by Hearing, submitting, and doing His Word! “And do not be conformed{STOP DOING THIS, it implies they were allowing themselves to be influenced into the mold of the Godless world. It is to be seduced and caught up in the temporal things of time, ambitions, pursuits, what dominates the lost people of this age. IT IS A COMMAND to this world, How Not? “…but be transformed by the renewing of your MIND, SO THAT {This is the Purpose…} YOU MAY PROVE what the will of God is, that which is good and Acceptable and perfect.”- ( Rom 12:2)-Read, Memorize, pray it, Obey It… and the outcome? “...so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which IS good, and acceptable and perfect!”
Conformed to His Word to know Him and His will,and to change us in our thinking and as a result the way we view life’s circumstances, people. God, and we live out our lives.
The Hope in this verse is His followers no longer have to submit and allow themselves be squeezed into the ways of this world system, which is in opposition to God, but we have the Power in Christ through His Spirit empowering us as we CHOOSE to Renew our minds with His Word, to Think through the lens of Scripture, allowing it to rule, govern and guide us! -{Read Phil 2;13 NLT; 2 Peter 1:3}
“Renewing” is the ability to Think in a new way and see things from God’s perspective…” means to cause something to become new and different with the implication of becoming superior. “{preceptaustin commenatries}.”Trench says that the renewing of our minds “is the gradual conforming of the man more and more to that new spiritual world into which he has been introduced and in which he now lives and moves…the restoration of the divine image” (“the mind of Christ” -{1Co 2:16])”
Have you hid Romans 12:2 in your heart? Maybe a good verse to do so this week.Write it out and carry with you or place in a prominent place so you can see it, a bathroom mirror, by your bed on a night stand etc… anywhere that you will be and can be reminded, and word for word, phrase by phrase read, re-read and think on and before you know it you will have memorized and can meditate upon it and the Holy Spirit can recall to your mind in times of temptation and times to strengthen you, and to know His will, which is good, acceptable and perfect, and to apply His Word! To have discernment to be able to know the ways of the world, the temptation to be seduced by the “world,” system versus Being changed to live out this new life God has gifted you with by being transformed.
Do Not Conform, allow the world system to squeeze you into its way any longer. How? “Be transformed by the renewing of your MIND!” That’s how!
We are either being Conformed To This World Or Being Transformed By HIS WORD… The World or the Word. Which has pre-eminence in your life? For the one which does is the one that is shaping your THINKING and living…
“DO NOT BE CONFORMED.”- IS THE NEGATIVE. IT IS LIKE PUTTING OFF A DIRTY GARMENT
“BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND! IS THE POSITIVE.
LIKE THE REPLACING THE DIRTY GARMENT BY PUTTING ON A NEW CLEAN GARMENT... A NEW WAY – GOD’S WAY, OF THINKING AND DOING. AND THE RESULT-” SO WILL …PROVE THE WILL OF GOD…”
Conformed to this World or Being Transformed By His Word!
The choice is yours!