Considerations ~ The Appealing Life of Transformation

 1 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. 2 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. (Romans 12)

I am not very good at grammar, but I am fascinated and challenged by the grammatical description of this phrase: “be transformed…”

·         Verb: Action required

·         Present: Now, today

·         Passive: Receive it, let it happen

·         Imperative: Do it (not think about doing it)

·         Second Person: You

·         Plural: Together

Action plan: to get together with God’s people and encourage each other to fully receive the transforming work of God that comes to us through the renewal of our mind. Paul said that, “we have the mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16), so we can now set our “minds on the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5), and experience the transformation that God is working into us for his good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13).

Encouragement: Paul wrote something very similar when he reminded the church: 

21 …you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4)

© 2015 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)