Romans 12:1-2
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.
I graduated from Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, about 20 miles north of Charlotte. The town of Davidson was tiny; one stop light, a gas station, a 7-11 and a drug store – that was pretty much it.
One of the mechanics at the local “Gulf” gas station was a guy named “Doodle Wally” – I’m not making that up. I don’t think that was his real first name, but I’m not sure. I was on the basketball team at Davidson and Doodle was a big fan. He would hang around sometimes at our practices – so I got to know him.
Doodle was a “good ‘ol boy” in a kind of friendly, redneck, southern gentleman kind of way. He always had a chaw of tobacco in his cheek and a “Red Man” cap on his head. He was rather portly and was one of the least athletic looking people you could imagine. But he was a good guy; he loved the Davidson Wildcats; and he was always hanging around.
Then one year – I think it was my junior year – I came back to school in September to find that Doodle had changed. He still had the “Red Man” cap and the chaw, but he had lost weight, and we all noticed.
A few days later we saw why. While we arrived for practice one day we saw Doodle on the college running track. And to our absolute amazement, he was running – or more accurately - jogging very slowly, around and around the track!
He still had his gas station gear on; blue shirt with “Doodle” stitched on the pocket; work boots and all; and he was running. We were stunned.
We asked him, “Hey Doodle, what are you doing?”
And he told us that his doctor had told him he better lose some weight or he would be trouble. So he decided he needed to change.
And just like Forrest Gump, he started running. And he ran every day that year – rain, cold, heat – every day. By springtime he had lost something like 50 pounds – and started wearing running shoes.
By the time I graduated, Doodle was running 5 and 10K races around Charlotte.
Read Paul’s words again from Romans 12:
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.
What is Paul talking about?
He’s talking about change. The word he uses is “transformed”. The Greek word Paul uses here is metamorphousthe – from which we get our English word, metamorphosis. This particular word appears in only one other place in the New Testament – in Matthew 17:2 – and it is used to describe the transfiguration of Christ as scripture says, “… Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun…”.
He’s talking about the real, practical, measurable, observable outward changes that God wants to produce in our lives. But he’s also teaching us that real changes takes place from the inside out.
Notice, first of all, that change begins – not with us – but with God.
Paul writes:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God…
What is “God’s mercy?” The word “mercy” here refers to favor, compassion or kindness shown to the undeserving. Paul uses this word in reference to all that he has already shared in chapters 1-11 in Romans. The whole letter has been a compelling argument that even though all human beings have sinned and deserve judgment, God, in his great mercy and grace, sent his Son to atone for our sin through his own death and resurrection.
So, what Paul is saying is that the power of change begins with an understanding and experience of God’s grace. We don’t change in order to get God to love us; rather, we accept by faith that God loves us as we are; gave his Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for us; and we change in response to his grace!
In this way, the Christian faith is backwards when compared to other religions. Most world religions compel good, moral behavior in order to earn the favor and reward of whatever god or gods that religion professes. But not Christianity. The Bible tells us God loves us completely and passionately; and that we can do nothing to make him love us any more than he does right now. His love is absolutely free and unconditional and is there whenever we open our hearts to receive it. Our behavior changes as the result of his love – not in order to earn his love!
Notice that outward change begins with inward change in the way we think:
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
What does Paul mean by the “pattern of this world?” What is the “renewing of your mind?”
A few weeks ago our whole culture celebrated the Super Bowl. I saw somewhere that advertising commercials during the T.V. broadcast cost something like $3.5 million for 30 seconds. So one could reasonably make the assumption that those commercials would represent what our culture thinks is truly important. The most advertised products during the Super Bowl were cars and trucks (18 different ads); and beer and soft drinks (11 ads).
So there you have it. According to our advertising (and presumably consumer) priorities, our culture values football, new cars, beer and soft drinks. In a way, that’s the pattern of this world.
Paul is challenging us to think differently! He wants us to value more than what we drink and drive. He wants us to think more highly of ourselves than just as materialistic consumers. He wants us to see ourselves as God sees us; he wants us to see the world around us as God sees it. For when we think differently, we tend to live differently!
Notice that change also involves sacrifice. Paul writes:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices …
Change is hard. Change is often painful. It wasn’t easy for my friend Doodle to lose weight! He had to change the way he thought. He had to change what he valued. He had to change his lifestyle.
Change always involves sacrifice. We must give up something to experience something different and better. At first, this sacrifice will feel like a loss. We resist change because we don’t like to give up habits and attitudes – even if they are harmful – because at least they are familiar!
What would God like to change about the way you think? What would he like to change about the pattern of your life? What would you need to sacrifice in order to make those changes?
Remember that he loves you completely whether or not you change – but he does want his love to produce genuine and lasting change in your life!
Pastor Brian Coffey
He’s talking about change. The word he uses is “transformed”. The Greek word Paul uses here is metamorphousthe – from which we get our English word, metamorphosis. This particular word appears in only one other place in the New Testament – in Matthew 17:2 – and it is used to describe the transfiguration of Christ as scripture says, “… Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun…”.
He’s talking about the real, practical, measurable, observable outward changes that God wants to produce in our lives. But he’s also teaching us that real changes takes place from the inside out.
Notice, first of all, that change begins – not with us – but with God.
Paul writes:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God…
What is “God’s mercy?” The word “mercy” here refers to favor, compassion or kindness shown to the undeserving. Paul uses this word in reference to all that he has already shared in chapters 1-11 in Romans. The whole letter has been a compelling argument that even though all human beings have sinned and deserve judgment, God, in his great mercy and grace, sent his Son to atone for our sin through his own death and resurrection.
So, what Paul is saying is that the power of change begins with an understanding and experience of God’s grace. We don’t change in order to get God to love us; rather, we accept by faith that God loves us as we are; gave his Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for us; and we change in response to his grace!
In this way, the Christian faith is backwards when compared to other religions. Most world religions compel good, moral behavior in order to earn the favor and reward of whatever god or gods that religion professes. But not Christianity. The Bible tells us God loves us completely and passionately; and that we can do nothing to make him love us any more than he does right now. His love is absolutely free and unconditional and is there whenever we open our hearts to receive it. Our behavior changes as the result of his love – not in order to earn his love!
Notice that outward change begins with inward change in the way we think:
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
What does Paul mean by the “pattern of this world?” What is the “renewing of your mind?”
A few weeks ago our whole culture celebrated the Super Bowl. I saw somewhere that advertising commercials during the T.V. broadcast cost something like $3.5 million for 30 seconds. So one could reasonably make the assumption that those commercials would represent what our culture thinks is truly important. The most advertised products during the Super Bowl were cars and trucks (18 different ads); and beer and soft drinks (11 ads).
So there you have it. According to our advertising (and presumably consumer) priorities, our culture values football, new cars, beer and soft drinks. In a way, that’s the pattern of this world.
Paul is challenging us to think differently! He wants us to value more than what we drink and drive. He wants us to think more highly of ourselves than just as materialistic consumers. He wants us to see ourselves as God sees us; he wants us to see the world around us as God sees it. For when we think differently, we tend to live differently!
Notice that change also involves sacrifice. Paul writes:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices …
Change is hard. Change is often painful. It wasn’t easy for my friend Doodle to lose weight! He had to change the way he thought. He had to change what he valued. He had to change his lifestyle.
Change always involves sacrifice. We must give up something to experience something different and better. At first, this sacrifice will feel like a loss. We resist change because we don’t like to give up habits and attitudes – even if they are harmful – because at least they are familiar!
What would God like to change about the way you think? What would he like to change about the pattern of your life? What would you need to sacrifice in order to make those changes?
Remember that he loves you completely whether or not you change – but he does want his love to produce genuine and lasting change in your life!
Pastor Brian Coffey
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