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. 2 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.
So, if we do conform to the pattern of this world and we are not transformed by renewing our minds we won't be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.
So how do we not conform? How do we transform? How do we renew our minds?
We start by asking, asking, asking..........
What do we ask? We ask everything! We ask ourselves why we do what we do?
You may ask, what is so bad with the world anyway? Here are a few of God's words about the world.
1 John 5:19-20
We Know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true-even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal Life.
1 Corinthians 3:19-20
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written:" He catches the wise in their craftiness" 20 and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.
This one is speaking about worldly wisdom. God is not against wisdom he just wants us to have Godly wisdom. This is another whole post soon to be coming....
Anyway...
1 John 5:4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world , even our faith.
You see here is the quick summary,
Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve.......
The world is sinful.......
The world is in control of the evil one......
Wisdom of this world is foolish......
But this is why we talk about Jesus
Jesus loves the world........
Jesus came to save the world.......
Jesus is the light of the world........
Godly wisdom is more precious than rubies.........
Our faith in Jesus give us victory over this world.
1 John 5:5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
God clearly talks about transforming from the inside out.
What is in the inside that needs transforming. It is our heart. Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
Proverbs 27: 19 As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man.
It is God's will that our heart is transformed. Everything we say, do and think even the decisions we make come from our heart. For a deep study of God's will; start with a study of the heart. Look up heart in the dictionary/concordance of your Bible and read every verse with heart in it.
You will see the beginning of where God wants to make a new creation in you. That is God's will for you to be a new creation in Him, where He will be glorified.
God's ultimate eternal vision is His glorification. We were created to give Him glory. Add this question to your list of questions when you ask yourself if you are in God's will. Are you glorifying God? What is your heart, what is your motivation? Is the motivation for your glory or His?
As God transforms your heart and mind He will disclose to you any details. Sometimes your pain is your passion, sometimes it is the thing you most do not want to do, it may require stepping out of your comfort zone. It may be as simple as staying where you are and ministering there. Wherever God is calling you to be or to do remember to test your heart because God is.
