Be Transformed

Romans 12:1-2

Paul spends the first eleven chapters of Romans explaining to his readers all the essentials of the gospel message; that being faith, righteousness, grace, God's love and Jesus Christ. Beginning in chapter twelve Paul makes the transition from what we need to know, to what we need to do. Romans 12:1 begins with the word "Therefore", which is an adverb that draws the readers attention to something previously stated. Therefore says, "For the reason of things just mentioned, the following is valid or true." In this case Paul wants to bring to his readers' attention God's great mercy, God's great love, God's grace, God's imputed righteousness; he wants them to remember everything he just revealed regarding the salvation given to us through faith in Jesus Christ. In light of this, he urges them "to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1)." In other words, live your lives for God as if everything you do is being laid upon His altar; let your life be a sacrifice of praise. Paul then says, "Do not conform any longer 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 12:2)." In both situations the believer is going through a change. He is either sacrificing his relationship with God to fit into the pattern of the world, or he is sacrificing his relationship with the world to fit into the pattern of God. The first causes him to grow, the second to regress; the first brings forth life, and the second death. Conformity to the world is what we did when we lived in ignorance; following the desires of our heart (1st Peter 1:14). But now, as new born babes in Christ, having been weaned on the pure spiritual milk of God's word, we are called to grow in our salvation (1st Peter 2:2); putting aside those things that no longer benefit us, those things leading to death (Romans 6:21). For when we accept the gospel of Christ, our life is expected to change. The bottom line is that we all come to the place in our Christian walk where we need to make the decision of what testimony we want to display to the world around us. We will either conform to be the cool guy for the world, or we will be transformed to be the right guy for God. The result of this transformation is that we are "able to test and approve what God's will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will (v 2b)." Therefore, if we confess Christ and profess to be His disciples; if we have been saved by grace though faith; if we have been brought from death to life, then we need to transform our life as if everything we do is being laid upon the altar of God's love. We are all partakers of God's grace, and have been given the free gift of salvation; we have all been brought from death to life through our faith in Jesus Christ. Now we need to act upon that faith by transforming our minds from the life we once lived in ignorance, to the life we now live in faith and understanding. In short, we need to be transformed.   [mp]

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Michael D'Urbano
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