Be Transformed
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Verse 1
(KJV 1900)
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.
I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.
(AMP)
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
(ESV)
Let’s look at each phrase:
12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
I appeal to you therefore
I appeal to you therefore
This appeal is based on what has been stated in previous chapters. God is so amazing and has given us so much. He has given us his Spirit along with gifts and callings
By the mercies of God
By the mercies of God
· God is full of mercy -What kind of mercy? I believe it is the same kind that we are to give to others (). We are to show mercy with cheerfulness. God isn’t showing mercy through gritted teeth. He has accepted Jesus as full payment for our sin and shortcomings.
· a With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful;
With an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
To present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God
To present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God
We are to present our physical bodies to God, this is something we do while here on earth, while we are still alive, we dedicate our self to God
Just like Abraham who sacrificed his son Isaac, God is asking us to lay on the alter and die to our own way
To better understand what Paul has in mind here, let’s read from
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
· What does it mean to present ourselves as holy & acceptable?
o Holy -devoted, consecrated -to be set apart specifically for something, dedicated
o Acceptable
§ An acceptable offering is one that is offered according to what God has asked -Cain and Able
§
16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. 19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
· Why should we offer our self to God? It is the only reasonable way to live because of all that God has done for us –
o Imagine that the year is 2030 and you were taken captive by terrorists -like ISIS or Boko Haram -people who specialize in bring fear and death. You were taken captive before you can even remember. It is all you know. Now imagine that someone came forward and was willing to pay the ransom of 1 billion dollars per person to set you free. He was the most powerful, rich, spiritual person in the world. He not only wants to purchase your freedom; he wants to make you his son or daughter -adopt you as one of his own. This comes with access to all that he owns.
He only has one requirement -live for him -not for the terrorists that had you in bondage, not even for yourself.
You accept this gift. You become his child. You accept him as your redeemer.
o It is only reasonable to you live to please the one who purchased you
Verse 2
(KJV 1900)
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.
(AMP)
(AMP)
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].
(ESV)
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
(ESV)
Be not conformed to this world (pattern yourself after this age)
Be not conformed to this world (pattern yourself after this age)
· Be not conformed to this world (pattern yourself after this age)
o What does conformed mean?
§ To be formed into an image of someone else or to take on the value system of carnal people (people who are ruled by their natural senses)
o How does this happen?
§ We are conformed by our mind staying in the natural realm
§ Our mind is the battleground of our soul
§ If the spirit of this world can still catch our attention, it has the power to conform us
What am I being exposed to that is from this natural world?
Friends
Family
Social Media
Video Games & other electronic games
News
Movies
Music
Other types of entertainment
§ We can be deceived into staying conformed to the world by believing that part of our life is natural and part of our life is spiritual, part of our life we include God in and part of it we don’t.
Are any of these things keeping us from being transformed?
o
23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
Why are we doing what we are doing? Can it be done unto the Lord?
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind
o We can be completely transformed and changed as our mind is made new through the Spirit of God
o It is supernatural -not something that we can accomplish by just trying harder
o Our mind is brought in line with God’s will and the result is a transformation in our soul
o Our spirit is made new or made alive as soon as we make Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, but our soul is made new as our mind is made alive to the Spirit of God
o
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind (one that is focused on the flesh) is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
o Our mind is renewed as we walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh
Get back to the analogy of us being ransomed from the terrorists.
You learn that you have to learn a different language in order to receive all the benefits that come with being his child. The only way to learn it is to spend time with your new father. Fortunately, your father has a manual in your language that explains who your father is, things he has done in the past and what he will do in the future. As his child you are given a special device that receives the messages from your father and translates them so you can hear and understand his voice. As you spend time with him you intuitively learn how to use the decoder and you are able to hear his voice. He is always willing to share his heart with you.
As you read of his ways & follow his instructions you learn that this device is more than a decoder. It gives you supernatural strength so that you can do everything he asks. There is no limit -its just a matter of hearing and understanding.
It is actually quite amazing, because this special gift from your father also produces an aroma, like incense. As you breath it in, it alters your DNA and your appearance starts to change. You start to take on the features of your father. You start thinking like him and acting like him. You start to lose interest in things you learned to like while being held by the terrorists and you instead love the same things your fathers loves. As time goes on you are transformed from a slave of a former terrorist who knew nothing of the world outside of the isolated camp you grew up in, and you become an ambassador for your father with full authority to represent him where ever you go.
o In real life we have something better than this device -we have the Holy Spirit!
o If we spend time with the Father, we are changed by his Spirit, we are transformed into his likeness
What is the purpose of being transformed?
o It is so that we can prove (test & know) what is the will of God
§ Paul said in who can know the mind of the Lord? But through the Spirit we can!
§ Again in , scripture says that we have the mind of Christ!
§ We can know God’s will
o Good, acceptable & perfect
§ God’s will is always good -and we can know it
§ We can know the acceptable will of God -one that is well pleasing and agreeable to Him
§ We can know or walk in the perfect or complete will of God
· This thought is repeated in and in
Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
So how is it for you today?
Video of metamorphose from caterpillar to butterfly
Be Transformed
Be Transformed