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Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4:2 - |
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2007 GBC THEME “Renewing Our Lives
And Minds In Christ” - Part 3 (Rom 12:1-2) Pastor Daryl
Hilbert (Listen - Part 3a MP3 or Windows) (Listen - Part 3b MP3
or Windows) I.
THE BELIEVER’S LIVING SACRIFICE II. THE BELIEVER’S
SPIRITUAL SERVICE OF WORSHIP III. THE BELIEVER’S
NON-CONFORMITY TO THE WORLD IV. THE BELIEVER’S
TRANSFORMATION A. Commitment to
be a Living Sacrifice 1.
Paul has exhorted the believer to commit his life to
Christ by be a living sacrifice unto God to do whatever, wherever, and
whenever. 2.
The believer is to do so as his rationally spiritual
service-worship. 3.
Paul further explains that a believer cannot at the same
time allow himself to be conformed to this present evil system. 4.
Instead, the believer is to be spiritually transformed by
the renewing of his mind through the Word of God. B. Spiritual
Metamorphosis 1.
Believers are not to be conformed to the world but in
contrast (allà), are to be
transformed into a Christ-like living sacrifice. This transformation is a
believer’s spiritual metamorphosis. a)
“Transformed” comes from the Greek word, metamorphóō, which
literally means to change from one form into another. In biology, metamorphosis
means, a change in the form and often habits of an animal during normal
development after the embryonic stage (i.e. maggot into a fly; a caterpillar
into a moth, or a tadpole into a frog etc.). (American Heritage Dictionary) b)
In Classical Greek, the dominant motif of the word was
used of mythological gods who changed into earthly or perceptible appearance. c)
In the New Testament, it was used of the Transfiguration
of Christ, where Christ’s earthly appearance was transformed into his divine
glorious appearance (Mt 17:2; Mk 9:2; cp. Lk 9:29). d)
However, in Rom 12:2, the idea of transformation refers to
the internal process whereby our inner redeemed nature is increasingly
manifested in the believer’s daily life. (1)
The moment a sinner places his faith in Christ, he becomes
a new creature in Christ with a new redeemed nature (2Co 5:17). (2)
The Scriptures call this regeneration by the Holy Spirit
(Tit 3:5, lit. paliggenesía -
“born again”; cp. Joh 3:3). Because of regeneration and the believer’s new
nature, he is now able to have victory over sin. (3)
Yet, the believer’s new nature is not manifested without a
struggle with the sin nature, the world, and the devil. (4)
The spiritual metamorphosis takes place when the
believer’s new nature continues to become more prevalent than his old nature
with its practices. C. Renewal of the
Mind 1.
On the one hand, the spiritual metamorphosis is a divine
process, which God, through the Holy Spirit, performs in the believer (Phil
1:6). 2.
But, on the other hand, the believer is responsible not
only to cooperate but also to participate in his sanctification (Phil
2:12-13). 3.
This is emphatically evident in the fact that Paul
commands the believer to be transformed (metamorhóusthe
- pres pass imper from metamorphóō;
literally, “You must keep on being transformed”). 4.
It is also evident by the fact that Paul tells the
believer to be transformed by the “renewing of the mind.” 5.
It is the believer’s co-responsibility to renew his mind
so that spiritual transformation takes place. 6.
Renewing (anakaínōsis
from aná - up, again,
i.e. “re” & kainós - new
in character or nature; here in instrumental case) the mind is … a)
[It is] the activity of re-thinking with God’s thoughts
and point of view. These new thoughts are becoming of the believer’s new nature
and not the world’s point of view (Isa 55:8-12; Col 3:1-2). b)
[It is] the
renewal of thought and will which Christians constantly need if they are to
show by their moral conduct that they belong to the new aeon and are members
of the new humanity. (TDNT) c)
[It is] the
gradual conforming of the man more and more to that new spiritual world into
which he has been introduced, and in which he now lives and moves; the
restoration of the divine image; and in all this so far from being passive,
he must be a fellow-worker with God. (Trench) D. Practical
Application 1.
Since the command to be transformed is a present
imperative, renewing of the mind is accomplished in the believer by the
“continuous” saturation and meditation on the Word of God. a)
The outward
transformation is effected by an inner change in the mind, and the Spirit’s
means of transforming our minds is the Word. (MacArthur in loc.) b)
God’s own Word
is the instrument His own Holy Spirit uses to renew our minds, which, in
turn, He uses to transform our living. (ibid.) 2.
Scripture attests to the continuous activity of meditating
on the Word of God for the believer. a)
The believer is to meditate on the Scriptures continuously
(Ps 1:2-3; Josh 1:8; Ps 119:97; Col 3:16). (1)
The biblical view of “meditation” is not the contemporary
idea of emptying the mind. Rather, it is filling the mind; filling it with
God’s Word. (2)
One of the Hebrew words for “meditation” is hagah, which
means to moan, growl, utter, speak, or muse. It is the idea of speaking to
oneself or thinking to oneself as in the onomatopoetic word, “hmmmm.” (3)
The believer is to meditate, contemplate, think to
himself, and speak to himself in the Scriptures continually. b)
The believer is to store up the Scriptures in order to
gain victory over sin (Mt 4:4; Ps 119:9, 11, 101; Ps 37:31). c)
The believer is to treasure the Scriptures as a source of
God’s wisdom (Pr 2:1-6; Ps 119:98-100). d)
The believer is to hear and remember the Scriptures to
grow in faith (Rom 10:17). e)
The believer is to respond to temptation with Scripture
(Mt 4:4, cp. 1-11; Note: There are some 54 quotations of Scripture by Jesus
recorded in the Bible.). 3.
Practical Steps to Renewing the mind: a)
Choose an area of struggle or need in your life. b)
Find a section(s) of Scripture dealing with that
particular struggle or need (See List). c)
Memorize and meditate on those Scriptures d)
Discern and apply principles of Scripture to your life and
the lives of others. |
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