Romans 12:2 - Transformation: Glimpses Into How It Is Done.
Romans 12:2 (NLT) Dont copy the behavior
and customs of this world, but let God transform
you into a new person by changing the way you
think. Then you will learn to know Gods will for
you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
COMMENTARY PEARL
Godly Thinking
The Bible teaches that our minds are to
be brought under the control of Christ (2
Corinthians 10:5). The reason? How we act will be
determined by how we think. If God is to change our
lives, He must first change our minds. The human
mind cannot be a vacuum. It will be filled either
with good or evil. It will be filled either with
Christ or with carnality. What will make the
difference? It depends on us. and on what we allow to
enter our minds. Negatively, our minds must be
turned away from evil. We must be careful what kind
of television programs we see, what kind of
books we read, the things that occupy our
thoughts.
But it isn't enough to put bad thoughts
out of our minds. Positively, they must be
replaced with good thoughts - thoughts that are
shaped by God and His word, by prayer and worship,
by fellowship with other Christians.
Deliberately turn away from every evil thought today and
ask God to fill your mind instead with Himself
from this moment on.
It is a dangerous thing to go out into
the world empty; everything the enemy presents
will seem sweet (Proverbs 27:7). Choose to fill
yourself with the things of God so that you will not
be tempted by the world's offerings. [Hope for
Each Day by Billy Graham]
INTRODUCTION
God wants us to offer ourselves, not
animals, as 'living' sacrifices--daily laying aside
our own desires to follow him, putting all our
energy and resources at his disposal and trusting
him to guide us. We do this out of gratitude
that our sins have been forgiven. [Life
Application SB]
The religion of Christ is summed up in the
words, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart; . . . thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself." But through love of the world, through
unsanctified ambition, through self-love, and desire for
supremacy, many are being conformed to the world,
although the command from the Gospel of Christ is,
"Be not conformed to this world [and the
preventative is given]; but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind." You must have a changed mind,
a renewed mind. The power of the Holy Spirit
must be felt working upon the heart and
character, producing a new man in Christ Jesus.
PH152;43,44
COMMENTARY
God has given us the power of choice; it
is ours to exercise. We cannot change our
hearts, we cannot control our thoughts, our
impulses, our affections. We cannot make ourselves
pure, fit for Gods service. But we can choose
to serve God, we can give Him our will; then He
will work in us to will and to do according to
His good pleasure. Thus our whole nature will be
brought under the control of Christ.
Through the right exercise of the will,
an entire change may be made in the life. By
yielding up the will to Christ, we ally ourselves
with divine power. We receive strength from above
to hold us steadfast. A pure and noble life, a
life of victory over appetite and lust, is
possible to everyone who will unite his weak,
wavering human will to the omnipotent, unwavering
will of God. MH176, 177
The power of Christ alone can work the
transformation in heart and mind that all must experience
who would partake with Him of the new life in
the kingdom of God... In order to serve Him
aright, we must be born of the divine Spirit. This
will purify the heart and renew the mind and give
us a new capacity for knowing and loving God.
It will give us willing obedience to all His
requirements. This is true worship. Mar370.3
You must remember that your will is the
spring of all your actions. This will, that forms
so important a factor in the character of man,
was at the Fall given into the control of Satan;
and he has ever since been working in man to
will and to do of his own pleasure, but to the
utter ruin and misery of man. But the infinite
sacrifice of God in giving Jesus, His beloved Son, to
become a sacrifice for sin, enables Him to say,
without violating one principle of His government:
Yield yourself up to Me; give Me that will; take
it from the control of Satan, and I will take
possession of it; then I can work in you to will and to
do of My good pleasure. When He gives you
the mind of Christ, your will becomes as His
will, and your character is transformed to be like
Christs character. Is it your purpose to do Gods
will? Do you wish to obey the Scriptures? If
any man will come after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
5T515
COMMENTARY ILLUSTRATION
The Bible tells us to keep ourselves
unspotted from the world (James 1:27 NLT). So how
does the world spot (or soil) us in the
first place?
It starts with friendship with the world.
James 4:4 says, Dont you realize that
friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I
say it again: If you want to be a friend of the
world, you make yourself an enemy of God (NLT).
This leads to a love for this world.
First John 2:15 says, Do not love this world
nor the things it offers you, for when you love
the world, you do not have the love of the
Father in you (NLT).
Then its our love for the world that
results in our conformity to this world. We read in
Romans 12:2, Dont copy the behavior and
customs of this world, but let God transform you
into a new person by changing the way you think.
Then you will learn to know Gods will for you,
which is good and pleasing and perfect (NLT).
We find a classic example of this in the
book of Genesis. When the angels came to deliver
Lot out of Sodom and Gomorrah, they had to
practically drag him out of the city.
How did it all start? The Bible tells us
that Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom
and settled among the cities of the plain
(Genesis 13:12 NLT). Lot moved closer to Sodom (maybe
so he could keep it in view), and the next
thing you know, he had moved into Sodom.
But before long, Sodom had moved into
him. Lot lost his testimony and ultimately his
own family. And when judgment fell on Sodom, he
lost everything.
True spirituality is primarily measured
by what we do, not by what we say. So lets
keep ourselves unspotted from the world. [Greg
Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
CLOSING THOUGHT
The surrender of all our powers to God
greatly simplifies the problem of life. It weakens
and cuts short a thousand struggles with the
passions of the natural heart. Religion is as a
golden cord that binds the souls of both youth and
aged to Christ. Through it the willing and
obedient are brought safely through dark and
intricate paths to the city of God... ML6
ONE LINERS
Because he wants only what is best for us,
and because he gave his Son to make our new
lives possible, we should joyfully give ourselves
as living sacrifices for his service. [Life
Application SB]
By beholding Christ we become changed. If
the mind dwells upon temporal things constantly,
these things become all-absorbing, affecting the
character, so that God's glory is lost sight of and
forgotten. SD105.4
You need to drink daily at the fountain of
truth, that you may understand the secret of
pleasure and joy in the Lord. 5T515
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC
Romans 12:2 - Transformation: Glimpses Into
How It Is Done.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210417-0851.html
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 - Reversing the
Addiction Curse.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200904-1021.html
2 Corinthians 10:5 - Take Every Thought
Captive!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20190803-0937.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Parable of the Sower - Open Heart Surgery by
Ralph Ringer: https://vimeo.com/666314378
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
