Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – February 16, 2015
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. Romans 12:2
I became a Christian my freshman year in college. Though my soul was saved, I felt threatened by society’s mores. The pressure to conform to my peers’ behavior was unrelenting. Drunkenness, getting high and sleeping around pursued me like a bad cold. Daily I was teased and tempted to conform to the college culture. Fortunately, I met two friends every Thursday at 6:30 am for prayer and Bible study. We cried out for Christ to transform us into faithful followers who loved people and deplored sin. The Holy Spirit renewed our minds with His uncompromising truth.
Paul gets to the heart of how to live for the Lord and not the world. Abundant living begins with the salvation of your soul by the Son, it continues with the surrender of your body to the Father and concludes with the renewing of your mind by the Spirit. This is the ongoing life cycle for a Christian. Your faith is in Jesus. Your worship is for the Lord. Your obedience is doing God’s will. A life transformed by the Holy Spirit is not conformed to the spirit of this age. Images from our screens can pull us away from spiritual solutions, but Christ transforms our minds with His truth.
“As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance” (1 Peter 1:14).
How do you initiate the renewal of your mind with God’s transforming truth? What keeps you from conforming to the culture’s ever changing customs? A transformed mind contemplates eternal matters. A conformed mind thinks on temporal matters. Read, study and memorize Scripture. Consider memorizing six verses this year: Psalms 1:1-3; Proverbs 11:25; Matthew 22:37-39; 1 Corinthians 13:4-6; Galatians 2:20; 1 Peter 3:15. Your mind transformation takes hold when you follow a systematic renewal plan. Replace conforming lies with transforming truth.
Serious disciples of Jesus start with surrender to His will. Where He leads—we follow. Where He calls—we go. When He says wait—we wait. What He says do—we do. When He says speak—we speak. When He says be quiet—we are silent. What He says think—we ponder. When He says trust Him—we trust Him. A living sacrifice dies to selfish indulgence. We test and approve God’s will as we carry out God’s will. A life transformed by the Spirit is not conformed by the world.
“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 3:18).
Prayer: Heavenly Father, transform my life by renewing my mind with Your unchanging truth.
Related Readings: Ephesians 4:23, 5:17; 1 Corinthians 1:20; 2 Corinthians 10:2; 1 John 2:15
Post/Tweet this today: A life transformed by the Holy Spirit is not conformed to the spirit of this age. #transformed #wisdomhunters
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