“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 —his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2)
Paul is describing God’s change process that occurs in the lives of believers. This is what occurs after salvation. Many people think it happens the other way around!
As we grow in Christ, bible knowledge is not enough. Jesus is concerned about transformation. Here’s how it happens…
Change begins on the inside.
The word “transformed” is related to the word “metamorphosis.” We all remember being in school and learning the process of metamorphosis that occurs when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly or a tadpole becomes a frog. It’s a gradual change on the inside that produces a todal transformation on the outside. When a caterpillar has been changed into a butterfly, it becomes what God always intended it to be.
1 John 3:2 – “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known…”
John is talking about our future when we are with the Lord in Heaven, but it is also true in this life. God is in the transformation business!
Change is a process.
All of us tonight are works-in-progress. We are not finished. We are not glorified. We are not perfect. We are not completed. We are all under construction. Construction sites are noisy and messy. Is your life noisy and messy? Sometimes it’s hard to image what the final outcome will be.
We are responsible though, to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. God’s work in our lives is usually a steady, lifelong progress toward godliness. But we are responsible to discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness.
Change happens as our minds are renewed with the Word of God. It's only here that our thinking begins to change
Today’s Challenge: Identify an area of your life God is wanting to change. The Holy Spirit is so faithful, I’m sure you already know which area he wants to work in. Surrender, cooperate, allow God to do his work. All we need is on the other side of surrounding our lives to God.
Discussion Questions:
- Why does God change us from the inside out?
- What area of your life is God working to change?
- Do you have a story of how God has changed you?
Recommended Resource: The Me I Want to Be: Becoming God's Best Version of You by John Ortberg
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