Vision Month 2025

Jesus and our Priorities - A Mind Transformed by the Good News of Jesus!

Romans 12:1–2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 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

This is our vision month in which we seek to remind ourselves of our central mission and purpose as followers of Jesus Christ that we might BE WITH JESUS; BECOME LIKE JESUS and DO WHAT JESUS DID!

As followers of Jesus we are committed to following Him and we want His PRIORITIES to become OUR PRIORITIES. We also want to live as life COMMITTED TO SHARING THE GOOD NEWS of Jesus - something we DO! - and today we are thinking about our commitment to having A MIND TRANSFORMED BY THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS - something we THINK!

The URGENCY of the transformed mind!

Paul says, “I urge you brothers in view of God’s mercy” He employs a verb, parakalēo. It is literally to call beside! It is a mixture of entreaty and command. You need to do this, says Paul “in view of God’s mercies” - it is in the plural and it is an appeal to remember all that God has done for you and show gratitude to give yourself entirely to him in willing, sacrificial service

However, what Paul wants to tell us first of all is that in order for us to do this - to offer our lives as willing sacrifices to his service - we must cease being conformed to the world around us but be transformed. It is URGENT that we offer our bodies as spiritual sacrifices but we cannot do this until the mind is first transformed!

And there is a reason for this that he has already outlined for us in Romans chapter 8. For example in Romans 8:7 “the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.”

And then in Romans 8:5 “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” Being a Christian involves an entirely different mindset. A radical alteration of our view of things.

And then in Romans 8:6 “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;”

So this is URGENT and to illustrate, if you think of an airport and the CONTROL TOWER - the control tower guides teh planes in and out of the airport and they are absolutely vital for passenger safety.

the mind is the control tower of our bodies — what we DO is to all intents and purposes governed by the mind and what we THINK. Our mind considers possibilities; makes decisions; decides how we feel about those actions and so we come to rely on it as our guide to life.

Paul says then that in our Christian lives what we think; how we use our minds is vital to our actions. In order to offer our bodies as spiritual sacrifices we must first ensure that our mind is transformed by the Holy Spirit - Check your thinking!

2. The NATURE of the transformed mind!

The word translated “transformed” is used only once in the gospels, in describing what happened to Jesus on the mountain of transfiguration (Greek: metemorphōthē): “And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light” (Matthew 17:2; Mark 9:2).

And this gives us a clue as to what nonconformity to the world looks like. It is not the external avoidance of so-called “worldly behaviours” it is rather an inner transformation of our sinful desires that works out into a lifestyle that shines out in this dark world.

It happens as Jesus said in Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Transformation is the practical application of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:19–22) in our everyday lifestyle as the Spirit transforms us from the inside out. “It concerns both our bodies and our minds” (John Stott: The Message of Romans).

3. The NECESSITY of the transformed mind!

The transformed life then becomes both a sacrificial offering of ourselves to God as an act of “spiritual worship” - (Grk: ‘Spiritual’ translates logikos, which could mean either ‘reasonable’ (AV) or ‘rational’. If the former is correct, then the offering of ourselves to God is seen as the only sensible, logical and appropriate response to him in view of his self-giving mercy. If ‘rational’ is correct, then it is ‘the worship offered by mind and heart’ (REB), spiritual as opposed to ceremonial, ‘an act of intelligent worship’ (JBP), in which our minds are fully engaged.”(Stott) - and a necessary prerequisite of discovering and approving the will of God for our lives - —his good, pleasing and perfect will.” “This is because only a renewed mind can test and approve, that is, discern, appreciate and determine to obey, God’s will.”(Stott)

The renewal of our mind is the the key to transformation! Why? Because the mind we inherit at birth; the mind that is informed and nurtured in this sin-fallen and sin-cursed world can produce an anti-God, defiling and destructive tendency.

For too long, and against all the evidence to the contrary, people have informed us that ignorance is the basic problem of the human mind and therefore education will be our redeemer BUT whilst the agrees that ignorance that is a major problem, it is a certain type of ignorance that causes all of our other problems - the ignorance of God our Saviour! And, although education is certainly beneficial and has presented us with wonderful things through the brilliance of the human mind to create the computers and computerised systems and progress or produce medical breakthroughs like life-saving vaccines it can also lead to the equal brilliance of Computer hackers who can scam you out of your life-savings; or produce poisons to kill you, etc.

The problem with the human mind according to the Scripture is ignorance of God and this results in behavioural CORRUPTION! Paul says that leads to darkness in thought and action - Romans 1:21–32“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”

Therefore, in Ephesians 4:23, Paul calls upon us to be “renewed in the attitude (lit: spirit) of your mind.”

This is their schema or system of thinking (Grk syschēmatizomai, translated here as “conform”), what Paul calls “the pattern of this age” - this world systems and values if you like; and those who live according to this pattern “cannot please God! It isn’t just that they have opinions about God and faith and life in general it is that they have a worldview which shapes and directs the life away from God to self!

This is one type of person in the world says Paul, but the other is found among those who through faith in Jesus have been “renewed in the spirit of your mind.” - who live in “the age to come” and whose values and mindset are shaped by that world, they are being changed and their minds transformed as they metamorphise into the likeness of the glory of Jesus Christ - 2 Corinthians 3:18 “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

And its important to notice here that Paul uses words here which command a continuing attitude and behaviour -

“Both verbs are present passive imperatives and denote the continuing attitudes which we are to retain. We must go on refusing to conform to the world’s ways and go on letting ourselves be transformed according to God’s will. J. B. Phillip’s paraphrase catches the alternative: ‘Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God remould your minds from within.’(Stott).

There are simply two value systems operating in this world - the will of the sinful nature which is seen in various guises in the world and the will of God, and as these two are incompatible the question left to us is this, whose will, will you serve?

“his appeal now is that we should refuse to let ‘the present age’ squeeze us into its mould, dictate to us how we should think and indeed what we should think, and tell us how we can and can’t behave. Instead, we are to be transformed; our minds need to be renewed. We have to set the pace ourselves, and work out what sort of people we should be. The basis for this is not what the surrounding culture expects of us, but what God in his mercy has done for us.” - N T Wright.

Colossians 2:6 “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,”

APPLICATION:

This verse has a practical application and it says to us essentially that WHAT WE THINK ABOUT WILL INFLUENCE HOW WE LIVE!

This is why Peter in 1 Peter 1:13–14 urges us to “prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.”

It’s also why Paul exhorts un in Ephesians 4:17–5:1 “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.”

What does a Mind transformed look like on a daily basis? - 2 Corinthians 5:7 “We live by faith, not by sight.”

1. Live by a Faith informed by the Word of God!

The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:14–16 “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”

It is a way of salvation because it is life-giving and life-directing: *Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”(Psa 119:105).

It is also health-giving: Proverbs 3:5–8 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”

And following the way of the Bible is hugely satisfying and eternally rewarding - Psalm 1 “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”

One great American President, Ronald Reagan said, “Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.” Another, Abraham Lincoln, said of the Bible, “Take all that you can of this book upon reason, and the balance on faith, and you will live and die a happier man.”

Let us never underestimate its power to change lives: “You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilisation to pieces, turn the world upside down and bring peace to a battle-torn planet. But you treat it as though it is nothing more than a piece of literature.”― Mahatma Gandhi

But of course to live a life of faith INFORMED by the Word of God requires faith in that Word and obedience to that Word!

The Bible presents to us the WAY OF SALVATION but it alone will not save us, we must act upon its truth and obey it precepts.

God told Abraham that he was going to be "a father of many nations" and we read that “he believed-God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did" (Romans 4:17). He believed in the covenant promises of God BUT he awaited the manifestation of those promises in real time and while he awaited their fulfiflment we read that Abraham obeyed God! Abraham was told simply to go, without know where he was going. He had to trust God with the outcome of that decision - By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. Heb 11:8

Likewise God told Joshua to walk around the city of Jericho 7 times by faith in anticipation of its defeat. The word of the Lord required Joshua to believe that even though Jericho was securely barred, it was going to be delivered into his hands even before it had fallen. So he heard the Word of God and he obeyed it by faith! A faith which sees things as they will be, not as they are!

A faith informed by the Word of God lives not by logic or reasoning but by confident expectation and hope. -

Spurgeon in his wonderful book The Chequebook of the Bank of Faith demonstrated the spirit of Joshua saying: “Let us not sit down in coward fear. Let us press onward in the path of duty; for the Lord hath said it, “I will go before thee.” Ours not to reason why; ours but to dare and dash forward. It is the Lord’s work, and he will enable us to do it; all impediments, must yield before him. Hath he not said, “I will break in pieces the gates of brass?” What can hinder his purpose or balk his decrees? Those who serve God have infinite resources. The way is clear to faith though barred to human strength. When Jehovah says, “I will,” as he does twice in this promise, we dare not doubt.” 

2. Live by a Faith prompted by the Spirit of God!

Everyone’s minds are disposed to either positive or negative thinking.

We all have that capacity and it isn’t always a bad thing as negative thinking promotes caution and scepticism which is needed at times when we fear we may be being scammed or lied to.

On the other hand, positive thinking fosters optimism and proactivity.  “Negative thinking prepares us for distressing events; positive thinking welcomes possibilities for success.” - Robert N. Kraft, How to Balance Positive and Negative Thinking. Psychology Today. July 11, 2023.

However, while everyone has the capacity for both positive and negative thinking, the human brain is naturally disposed to negative thinking due to what is called by Psychologists, a “negativity bias”, a cognitive phenomenon which makes people more likely to pay attention to, remember, and be influenced by negative information over positive or neutral information. (see on  Paul Rozin and Edward Royzman coined the term "negativity bias" in their 2001 paper, "Negativity Bias, Negativity Dominance, and Contagion").

The problem of negativity bias is that for some of us at least the bias turns into a NEGATIVITY DOMINANCE where things of equal weight, or thoughts that suggest equal possibilities skew towards the negative - “That food looks really nice - but it will give me indigestion:”; “That holiday would be lovely but its overseas and I don’t like flying and the plane may crash on the way so I’m not going!”; “He looks really nice! But I’m no good at relationships and my previous dates let me down big time, so I’m not going there!” “God help me! I really need to pray about this more and worry less, but I’ve prayed before and nothing happened!”, etc, etc. NEGATIVITY DOMINANCE !

Do you have a NEGATIVITY DOMINANCE? Do you find yourself more often than not feeling the sting of criticism much more strongly than the joy of praise? Are you prone to repetitive negative thoughts as a result?

Negativity bias leads us to focus on negative experiences, which can skew our perception of reality & affect wellbeing BUT as followers of Jesus, we are called upon to “live by faith, not by sight”! and to have our mind informed by the Word of God; enlightened by the Spirit of God.

The mind informed by the Bible is wonderful but information does not make transformation - anymore than reading a cookery book will fill you up or reading an exercise book will make you fit. We need the Holy Spirit to act upon the word to make it live and real in our lives. This will lead to transformation!

The Bible says: "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). If we think faith-thoughts we shall be faith-filled people. If we thing negative, unbelieving thoughts we will be negative, unbelieving people.

Fear can drive us to negative outcomes in life. It is a form of negative faith. "For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes" (Job 3:25-26).

When seeking to overcome bad habits and besetting sins, avoid negative thinking! Believe that the power of God is available to help you overcome it.

When facing any negative - Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things (Philippians 4:8).

Just think of what you are and have in Christ! You are God’s child, adopted into God’s family and God’s Spirit lives in you:

All the worry and fret of God's children would end if their eyes were opened to see the greatness of the treasure hid in their hearts. Do you know, there are resources enough in your own heart to meet the demand of every circumstance in which you will ever find yourself? Do you know there is power enough there to move the city in which you live? Do you know there is power enough to shake the universe? Let me tell you once more - I say it with the utmost reverence: You have been born again of the Spirit of God - you carry God in your heart! (Watchman Nee)

Be what you are! Think of what you are in Christ every day! Let your mind be “transformed” by it (Romans 12:1,2)

3. Live by a Faith that is encouraged by the Promises of God!

God created the world by speaking it into existence Gen 1:1-3 says, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Paul took up these thoughts in 2 Corinthians 4 saying: “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” a made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ…..It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

In other words, the God who created this Universe out of nothing by virtue of a divine command, transforming the darkness and chaos of that original matter into light and energy so that a whole Universe could be filled with power and light and this world could teem with life; has also purposed to “shine in our hearts” so that the light and life of Jesus, the Son of God will transform us into His image that we may eternally bring glory to God!

There are thousands of promises in the Bible that you can use as a kind of ‘currency of faith” which make a profound difference to how we live our lives each day.

Just think of that verse “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”(Phil 4:13). Think of the difference that such a verse can make to your everyday life and its challenges!

Think of some of those other great promises of the Bible such as Isaiah 40:29-31 “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”

And what about this wonderful promise: John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

Or this one: Romans 8:37-39 “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

And what about this which we all need to exercise: Romans 10:9. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

And think about the promises of God we can bring to Him when we are praying: Ephesians 3:20–21 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” When we pray let’s pray in faith! The Bible speaks of the “prayer of faith”(Jas 5:15) Jesus said: “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."(Mtt 21:22). Saying prayers has no power unless we pray the prayer of faith, for the Bible says, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). “Prayer breaks all bars, dissolves all chains, opens all prisons, and widens all straits by which God's saints have been held." ~E. M. Bounds. “Persistent calling upon the name of the Lord breaks through every stronghold of the devil, for nothing is impossible with God. For Christians in these troubled times there is simply no other way….the devil is not terribly frightened of our human efforts and credentials. But he knows his kingdom will be damaged when we begin to lift up our hearts to God." (Jim Cymbala).

“A PROMISE from God may very instructively be compared to a check payable to order. It is given to the believer with the view of bestowing upon him some good thing. It is not meant that he should read it over comfortably, and then have done with it. No, he is to treat the promise as a reality, as a man treats a check. He is to take the promise, and endorse it with his own name by personally receiving it as true. He is by faith to accept it as his own. He sets to his seal that God is true, and true as to this particular word of promise. He goes further, and believes that he has the blessing in having the sure promise of it and therefore he puts his name to it to testify to the receipt of the blessing. This done, he must believingly present the promise to the LORD, as a man presents a check at the counter of the Bank. He must plead it by prayer, expecting to have it fulfilled. If he has come to Heaven's bank at the right date, he will receive the promised amount at once. If the date should happen to be further on, he must patiently wait till its arrival; but meanwhile he may count the promise as money, for the Bank is sure to pay when the due time arrives. Some fail to place the endorsement of faith upon the check, and so they get nothing; and others are slack in presenting it, and these also receive nothing. This is not the fault of the promise, but of those who do not act with it in a common-sense, business-like manner. God has given no pledge which He will not redeem, and encouraged no hope which He will not fulfil” (Spurgeon: Chequebook of the bank of faith).

LET US LIVE BY FAITH - informed by the Word of God! Prompted by the Spirit of God amnd Encouraged by the Promises of God!

We are not left to ourselves here! Once we’ve placed our trust in Jesus, we are not left to ourselves to generate faith.  Like the disciples when they found their faith lacking they said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5)  We can do the same today and God will fill us with more of his Holy Spirit to enable us to live and walk by this faith!

May the mind of Christ, my Saviour, Live in me from day to day, By His love and power controlling All I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly In my heart from hour to hour, So that all may see I triumph Only through His power.

(Kate B. Wilkinson, “May the Mind of Christ, My Savior”)