Weekly Sermon
Romans 12:1-2 reads, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
In Romans 12:1 God the Holy Spirit pleads with us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto the Lord our God. Then in verse 2 God the Holy Spirit gives two commands that we must obey if we are truly to present ourselves as such a living sacrifice unto the Lord our God. The opening portion of the verse presents the first command – “And be not conformed to this world.” Then the second command follows – “But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Brethren, we are not to be “conformed to this world.” We are not to be in the same form or in agreement with this present evil world. Rather, we are to be “transformed.” We are to be changed into a different form and a different character than this present evil world. Yea, we are to be changed into the same form and character as our Lord Jesus Christ. Even so, 2 Corinthians 3:18 declares, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image [as the glory of the Lord] from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
In addition, Romans 12:2 reveals that the means of this transforming work is “by the renewing of your mind.” We are commanded to be “transformed by the renewing of [our] mind.” This means that we ourselves must involve ourselves in the renewing of our minds. We ourselves must seek out, and commit ourselves to the things that will make for the renewing of our minds. What then are the things that will make for the renewing of our minds? In this first part of the message, let us consider three answers to this question.
Romans 12:1-2 reads, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
In Romans 12:1 God the Holy Spirit pleads with us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto the Lord our God. Then in verse 2 God the Holy Spirit gives two commands that we must obey if we are truly to present ourselves as such a living sacrifice unto the Lord our God. The opening portion of the verse presents the first command – “And be not conformed to this world.” Then the second command follows – “But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Brethren, we are not to be “conformed to this world.” We are not to be in the same form or in agreement with this present evil world. Rather, we are to be “transformed.” We are to be changed into a different form and a different character than this present evil world. Yea, we are to be changed into the same form and character as our Lord Jesus Christ. Even so, 2 Corinthians 3:18 declares, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image [as the glory of the Lord] from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
In addition, Romans 12:2 reveals that the means of this transforming work is “by the renewing of your mind.” We are commanded to be “transformed by the renewing of [our] mind.” This means that we ourselves must involve ourselves in the renewing of our minds. We ourselves must seek out, and commit ourselves to the things that will make for the renewing of our minds. What then are the things that will make for the renewing of our minds? In this first part of the message, let us consider three answers to this question.
We must commit ourselves to the truth of God’s Holy Word.
In Hebrews 4:12 the truth is revealed, “For the Word of God is quick [alive], and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” It is the living, powerful, piercing Word of God that will discern between the good and evil of our thoughts, feelings, intentions, opinions, and ideas. We have many of these thoughts, feelings, intentions, opinions, and ideas throughout our days. Yet many of our thoughts, feelings, intentions, opinions, and ideas are not acceptable with the Lord our God. Many of them flow out of an unrenewed mindset. Thus we need the living, powerful, piercing Word of God to “divide asunder” between what is acceptable and what is not acceptable with our Lord. Even so, in John 15:1-3 our Lord Jesus Christ declared, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and ever branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth [prunes] it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean [purged; pruned] through the word which I have spoken unto you.” God our heavenly Father desires that we bring forth more fruit unto the glory of His name. In order for this to be so, many of our thoughts, feelings, intentions, opinions, and ideas must be pruned away from us. The tool that God our heavenly Father uses to prune away these unacceptable thoughts, feelings, intentions, opinions, and ideas is His living, powerful, piercing Word. Even so, Psalm 19:7 proclaims, “The Law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the Testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” Yes, if we are to experience the renewing of our mind, we must commit ourselves to the truth of God’s Holy Word.
We must commit ourselves to put away from us any and all sin.
In Ephesians 4:22-24 the instruction is given, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” In these three verses we find a three –fold instruction. First, we are instructed to put off the corruption and deceitful lusts of the old man. Second, we are instructed to be renewed in the spirit of our mind. Third, we are instructed to put on the righteousness and true holiness of the new man. In the first place, we must note the close relationship between the renewing of our mind and the putting off of the old man. There can be and will be no renewing of our mind if we are unwilling to put off the sinful corruption and selfish lusts of the old man. If we desire to experience the renewing of our mind, we must commit ourselves to put off anything about which our Lord convicts us, no matter how big small it may be. We must be willing to pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me.” (Psalm 139:23-24a) Then whatever wicked ways our Lord may point out to us, no matter what it may be we must be committed to put it off and to turn away from it.
Even so, there is also a close relationship between the putting off of the old man and the truth of God’s Holy Word. This close relationship can be seen in James 1:21 where the instruction is given, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” Again this close relationship between the laying aside of sin and the receiving of God’s Word can be seen in 1 Peter 2:1-2 where the instruction is given, “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” Brethren, we must remember that it is the living, powerful, piercing Word of God that “divides asunder” between what is acceptable and what is not acceptable in our hearts and lives. Thus it is through the living, powerful, piercing Word of God that the Lord our God reproves us of our sinful ways. So then, if we are to experience the renewing of our mind, we must commit ourselves to put away from us anything and everything that the Word of God defines as sin.
We must commit ourselves to live wholly unto the will of God.
In 1 Peter 4:1-2 we read, “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.” Brethren, we are to arm ourselves for spiritual battle against our adversary the devil. We are to set ourselves in battle array. We are to take up a weapon against the temptations that will come against us. What then is that weapon with which we are to arm ourselves? We are to arm ourselves with the same mindset as our Lord Jesus Christ. That is our weapon against temptation; that is our weapon against our adversary the devil – the mindset of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yet what was the mindset of our Lord Jesus Christ? Our Lord’s mindset was to live wholly unto the will of God. He set His mind and committed Himself to live wholly unto the will of the Father. In like manner, this mindset is to be ours. We are to “arm [ourselves] likewise with the same mind.” Whatever our Lord’s will may be for us, we are to commit ourselves to live wholly unto His will, with no hesitation or deviation.
This is the second close relationship of Ephesians 4:22-24. Not only is there a close relationship between the renewing of our mind and the putting off of the old man, but there is also a close relationship between the renewing of our mind and the putting on of the new man. Brethren, we must commit ourselves to both the putting off of the old man and the putting on of the new man. There can be and will be no renewing of our mind if we are unwilling to put on the righteousness and true holiness of the new man, that is – if we are unwilling to live wholly unto the will of God. In addition, there is also a close relationship between the putting on of the new man and the truth of God’s Word. It is through the living, powerful, piercing Word of God that the Lord our God reveals to us the way that He wants us to walk. So then, if we desire to experience the renewing of our mind, we must commit ourselves to follow anything and everything that our Lord instructs us through His Word. Even so, Psalm 119:9 proclaims, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way [that is – renew his mind]? By taking heed thereto according to thy Word.” It is not simply by the hearing of God’s Word that our minds are renewed. Rather, it is by taking heed to God’s Word that our minds are renewed.
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