Transformed Mind

| Sermon Summary by Lynda Keren |

“Many Christians think and hope they will be able to live up to something like the Christian standards while still thinking the way the rest of the world thinks; it can’t be done”- N T Wright.

For us to live a Christian life, we need to think like a Christian. In Romans 12, Paul pleads that

we need to let God transform us into a new person by changing the way we think. Our mind is important because what we think/believe is going to impact all our actions, behavior, habits and eventually our character.

So, the question is how can my mind be renewed so I can be transformed into a new person who God created me to be. How can I think differently in a way that I become the person God wants me to be - mature, complete, not lacking anything, pure, blameless, full of fruit of righteousness?

1. Worship: In Romans 12:1, Paul urges/begs/pleads us to worship God rightly. Let us contrast it with Romans 1, here they knew God but did not consider it worthwhile to worship God or to give him thanks. They reduced God, manipulated God to their convenience. We are all capable of doing it, reducing God according to our desires, instead of worshipping and thanking him for who HE is and what He has done for us.

Romans 12 talks about living sacrifice. All of me is an offering. I worship God with all

of me, heart, soul and mind. If all of me is an offering, then all of me must be holy and pleasing to the Lord. Then all of life is worship. Everything I do, I do it unto the Lord. He is the Lord over all my life. Charles Swindoll says, living sacrifice has a problem to crawl out from the altar. We can come on a Sunday, offer ourselves and then crawl out to live our own way, and that is not a living sacrifice.

2. Right Influences: The world is constantly acting like a force, trying to squeeze us into its mold. It tries to make copies, forcing everyone to act in a certain way. But God’s creation is differently gifted. In Romans 12:2, we are asked not to copy the pattern of the world, the customs and habits of those around us who do not follow God. Adding to this, the world tells us that we don’t need to change and we can continue in our immaturity.

We can get away from the pull and pressure of the world only by living by the Spirit (Romans

8) and patterning our lives according to the Word of God.

We read about Philemon and the runaway slave Onesimus. Onesimus met Paul in the

prison and became a follower of Christ. Paul was asking Philemon to accept Onesimus back

again, like how he would accept Paul. Philemon need not do that, as that was not the social, political order in the Roman world of elites and slaves. But Paul was asking Philemon to think differently and thereby to act differently.

3. Guarded mind: In the book of Philippians, Paul writes about guarding our mind. In chapter 4:6, we read “not to be anxious or worry, instead when we pray the peace of God will guard our minds in Christ Jesus”. When we rejoice in the Lord, it is a safeguard for us (Phil:3:1). In Philippians 4:8, Paul gives a list which acts like a filter as to what kind of thoughts to let into our minds. Every choice we make impacts our brain and wires it differently. When we continue to make choices that are godly, it becomes easier for us to choose the same next time.

4. Transformed Individuals lead to Transformed communities: As we become transformed individually, we move on to be part of transformed communities. It is like a person who doesn’t know how to sing, practices and learns how to sing well individually, then he joins a choir with all the transformed, trained voices and they make beautiful music, lovely harmonies. In Romans12:3, Paul writes on how we should think about ourselves as part of God’s community. Not to think too highly of oneself, but with sober judgement to think rightly and to encourage gifts that are different, In Philippians, he writes, “in your relationship with one another have the same mind as Christ”

As we continue to be transformed individually through the renewing of our minds, our communities also will be transformed so we can be the light that God wants us to be.

“Let God Transform You into a New Person by Changing the Way You Think” Rom:12:2