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Published: 25 June 2020

The first half of Romans 12 is not too hard to understand or even receive.  It is reasonable to offer ourselves to God, renew our minds and join Him in the transformation process.  Using our gifts for the good of others and the glory of God is not easy but it makes sense in light of Who gave us the gifts.  But as we move into the second half of Romans 12, things get a little more complicated.  Paul reminded the Romans that the expectation of transformation was a disposition of love that not only valued those in the community of faith but enemies of the gospel as well!  Of course, this was exactly what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount.  Given our nature as humans and our culture historically, the admonition to love like Jesus seems idealistic and out of reach for humans.   In fact, it would be possible to read these verses and only end up discouraged.  If we’re honest, we’re not doing so well with “becoming people of love.”  There is another way to read this passage that will be encouraging.  Read it as a description of who you are becoming.  Of course we fall short! That’s why we needed to be saved.  But, what God wants to do is make people like His Son and He is doing just that!  He has given us the Spirit so we have the power.  He has given us the Word so we have the description.  He has given us His Son so we have a Partner and Model in the process.   What seems impossible to us is possible with God.  He will not give up, let’s abide in Him so that much fruit will remain.

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Published: 19 June 2020

Do you ever struggle with stinkin’ thinkin’?  You probably do even when you don’t know it!  We are certainly more than thinking machines but our thoughts affect the way we live.  Ideas about what life is about and how to live are coming at us from many different sources.  They often disagree and while it’s confusing, we all pick some ideas and use them to live.  There are no originals, we are all living out one worldview or another that has already been tried.  We know from reading the Bible that there is an unseen realm that is purveying a world view void of God and His ways.  Some of the ideas are so deeply imbedded that we can’t even see them for what they are.  Once those ideas are exposed, it is very hard to change our mind about them, especially if we have argued and defended that idea.  You have probably heard it said of someone, “their mind is like concrete, thoroughly mixed and completely set.”  That’s a dangerous place to be.  The very first matter to address in spiritual formation (or discipleship) is an openness to change one’s mind.  Jesus said, “Repent, the Kingdom of Heaven is present.”  In our text for Sunday, Paul wrote, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  Renewing the mind is even more difficult than getting in shape.  It requires Holy Spirit power, the hammer of the Word of God and a willingness on our part to truly see that Jesus knows the way, and then trust Him.  Let’s be a people open to the Spirit’s work on our “noggins.”