Verse of the Day 9/1

Verse of the Day 9/1

Romans 12:2  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.    English Standard Version (ESV)

In life we like to have options, sometimes there are many while other times it comes down to two.  That is what we have here in today's verse from Romans 12 which begins Paul's "application" of what has been taught in the first 11 chapters of Romans.  In those first chapters he has spelled it out to his readers, and us, and we have the choice will we be conformed to this world and it's ways or will we let God do a work in us (Philippians 1:6) and be transformed?

In the J.B. Phillips translation (below), he begins the passage with a question, "we have seen God's mercy and wisdom: how will we respond?  As the Phillips version spells out to be conformed (ESV) is to be "squeezed into its own mould".  There is plenty of squeezing, plenty of pressure being exerted from the world for Christians to give up things, to  abandon what God's Word teaches and "get with  the program". 

If we decide to be "transformed" God will re-mould our lives from within".  It is a matter of the heart and mind Being transformed and resistant to the pressures of the world.  It starts from within, it changes the way we think.  Pastor R.C. Sproul writes, "God gives us the revelation of sacred Scripture in order for us to have our minds changed so we begin to think like Jesus. Sanctification and spiritual growth is all about this. If you just have it in your mind and you don't have it in your heart, you don't have it. But you can't have it in your heart without first having it in your mind. We want to have a mind informed by the Word of God."

The Christian life is often referred to as a "walk".  We are either walking with God or towards Him or walking away from Him and allowing ourselves to be squeezed into the world's mould.   Are you feeling the pressure?  Allow God to renew and ease your mind.  Philips ends verse 2 with "the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity."  (Phillips New Testament)

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Romans 12:2J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

We have seen God's mercy and wisdom: how shall we respond?

12 ^1-2 With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.