3 Little Verbs Part 2
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· 8 viewsPart 2 of looking at the 3 Greek verbs in Romans 12:2
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Last week we began a lesson in the Greek language of sorts when we started a more in-depth study of the 3 little Greek verbs that make up which says in the English
Do not conform 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.
In last week’s message we discovered what it meant to no longer conform to the pattern of this world, “Kai Un Syschematizo”
No doubt over the course of the week as you pondered the message you realized just how big a challenge that is but more importantly I hope you realized how important it is after all we are called to be like Christ and not like a fallen sinful world
We’re going to pick it up from where we left off because Paul doesn’t just tell us what NOT to do but also gives us an alternative to live by
I can’t stress this enough this morning, Paul did not say that Christians need to seclude themselves away from the world to avoid being influenced by the world
To do so contradicts what Jesus commanded us that we should be salt and light
Matthew 5:
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
And the way that we do that is found in our second verb, “metamorphoo” “be transformed”
The Greek version of the word probably makes you think of our English word “metamorphosis” and for good reason, not only do they sound similar but they come from the same root and have very similar meanings
Turning once again to the reverse interlinear for N.T. word studies we find that the literal translation for “metamorphoo” is “to change the external form, to transfigure”
So to paraphrase what Paul has said so far here, ‘Do not let yourself become more and more like this world but instead be made completely different that what you currently are’
Paul’s command to us is that we become different, that we look different, act different, talk different, think different, be different
A couple of weeks ago on Easter weekend we considered what, as according to Paul himself, was the one and only message that he preached everywhere that he went and that was the message of the cross
The reason for this, if you remember is because the message of the cross contains the power of God for the transformation of sinners
Now some of my contemporaries may disagree with what I am about to say but I believe that the Bible teaches us that when a person, any person receives the gospel message of the cross, they are changed, maybe not 100% but they ARE changed, they HAVE to be
You can’t come into contact with the power of the transformational gospel of the cross and walk away the same
It’s like if I had a big bucket of red paint and I just took the bucket and threw it out into the congregation
Now everybody will be present for it but only those upon whom the paint lands are going to find themselves with the tell tale signs of being made red
And the more red they have on them is proof of that they were more touched by the paint I threw
Anyone who walks away without any red on them can say, ‘I was there, I saw it, I heard it, I even felt it as it went by and was inspired by it’ but unless they have the tell tale red paint on them they can not say that they were touched by it
The same can be said of salvation, only those with the tell tale mark of transformation can actually claim to have been touched by the message of the cross
And it may be a big transformation meaning that they got hit full on or it may be a small transformation meaning they kind of got the edge of it but there has to be transformation of some sort or there was no contact!
2 Corinthians 5
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
“if ANYONE!” not “most people” or “some people” “ANYONE!”
We are no longer to be made in the same pattern and plan that the world operates on but we are to be made completely different and please understand that the process does not end at the moment of salvation but it is a process that continues as long as we will allow the Holy Spirit to work on us
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:17-
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Romans 8:29
Let me ask you a difficult question this morning, ‘Are you more like Jesus today than you were a year ago? A month ago? A week ago?’
Okay if the answer is “No” then the question becomes, ‘Why not?’
Unless you are already 100% like Jesus, and I don’t think any of us can say that with any shred of confidence, than there is still transformation that you need to go through
As long as the Father allows us to breath His air on this planet we have a task to do and that is to be transformed to become like Christ
And I fear that to not be involved in THAT process can only mean that we are involved in the other process which is conforming to the pattern of the world
It has to be one or the other, I don’t see any way in which we can ovoid one without participating in the other
And the way that we avoid conforming to worldly patterns and instead be transformed is by the third verb Paul uses, “anakainosis”
No that is not the name of some character from Star Wars it is the Greek word for “Renew” but because it is in the present, perfect tense we translate it “renewing” because it represents a process that is on going with no foreseeable ending
Actually an English word that would better translate the intention of this Greek word would be the word “Renovate”
Now any of you that has ever been involved in any kind of renovation project knows what that is like
The tearing down of things and the removal of things that you don’t want and then replacing those things with other things that you do want and in the places you want them to be
I recently went through the process of renovating Liane’s new office space down in Trenton and I had to tear down walls and rebuild them in other locations and relocate doors and electrical outlets and paint and trim and so on and so on
Well Paul is saying that it is the same process that we need to go through with our minds and the way that we think
The first thing that we have to do is demolition, we have to tear down the old worldly ways that we used to think like
Last week we referenced to talk about worldly standards, well let me read it again but this time going on a little farther
By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
If we continue to think the same old way that the world thinks than we are never going to break the cycle of acting the way that the world acts and so we have to demolish those thoughts and those ways of thinking
I just love how Paul put it at the end of verse 5, “and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”
You have no idea how many times in a week or even a day that I quote this verse because some thought has come across my mind that I know doesn’t line up with how Christ would have me think
Sometimes it is just a thought and sometimes it’s a way of thinking but whatever it is I say, sometimes in my head and sometimes out loud, “No I will not accept that thought. I take it captive, I shackle it and I command it to be obedient to the person and teachings of Jesus”
Now please understand that having the thought is not a sin and is not even a problem, the enemy is very skilled at placing thoughts, the question is then what will we do with it
Once we have learned how to do that we then need to do the next step which is rebuild, put something up in its place because God does not want a bunch of “empty headed” Christians!
Trust me we have way too many of them already
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:
We fill our minds with the kind of things that are worthy to be the mind of someone created by God in His image and then those things slowly transform the WAY that we think
The only way we cannot be “anxious” is to stop thinking the way that the world thinks and to focus our minds on Christ the author and finisher of our faith and He, through His Spirit works in us protect our minds
But, and mark my words on this, Christ CANNOT protect your heart and minds if we are filling our head with all the things that we shouldn’t be
There’s an old computer term that goes “garbage in, garbage out” which brings me to the third step in this renovation process
We’ve been reactive in the demolition, we’ve been proactive in the rebuilding, and now the office is ready to open for a new purpose
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, and they are full of greed.
That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ 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 your 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. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they 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.
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.
Ephesians 4:17-2
Well our time has gone but I hope that the lessons of will stick with and that the Holy Spirit will constantly remind you of the story of the three little verbs and how, as the Amplified Bible puts it,
Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. Amplified Version
Let’s pray