“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:1-2 (NRSV)
Many desire a change that will enable us to live a life pleasing to God. While change can be a good thing, one of the most noted fact about change is that self-induced change doesn’t last. Even with the best of intentions, on our own we often cannot produce a lasting change in lifestyle that will be pleasing to God.
The Apostle Paul talked about his own struggles trying to live a changed life. He confessed that he did not do the things he should do, but practiced the things that he should not do (Romans 7:19). These struggles are the same for us. Paul’s confession becomes that of humanity: on our own, we are powerless to overcome sin. Many find themselves struggling with destructive behaviors because of the nature of sin within us.
Scripture says that the nature of sin cannot desire godly things. The good news is that Paul did not leave us with the cause and effect of human inability, but also gave us the solution on how to change and live a righteous life. The answer is in Jesus Christ. He has defeated sin within us so that the righteousness can be fulfilled in us (Romans 8:1-3). As much as Christ has done the work for us to overcome sin, the challenge is to continually set our minds on the things of God. As Paul himself reminds us in Romans 8:5-6, whatever our mind is set on will govern our lives, so we must choose to set our minds on the things of God.
Paul further noted that the more our minds are set on the Word of God, the more we are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). The more our minds stay on the things of Christ, the more God’s Spirit can change our thought process, which will cause us to transform to our new nature in Christ. Therefore, if we want to change our behavior or habits, we must change our thinking, which can only be done by renewing our minds with the Word of God. In so doing, God’s Spirit will continually enable and empower us to live a life that is pleasing to God.
Leecroft Clarke,
Director of Pastoral Care Ministry
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