We are either living in God's presence or Satan's.

Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

The work of God.

To believe on Jesus Christ.

A reality. To believe makes it a reality.  If I say I believe in Santa Claus, I'm saying I believe he is real. To believe is to make our Savior a reality. 

Lately I've been studying a lot on being in God's presence, being in pursuit of God and as a result, Satan has begun unrelenting attacks on me. Satan doesn't want us living in God's presence. Satan doesn't want us to be in pursuit of God. Satan does not want Jesus to be a REALITY to us in our everyday life. Satan wants us caught up in ourselves in any aspect of ourselves.  The bad- he will make us feel guilt and despair. The good- he will make us feel guilty and despair. Satan will use our past, even our immediate past. IF we are feeling a moment of pride, Satan is there encouraging that pride to take root in us. If we feel overwhelming regret for past actions, Satan is there to tell us we don't deserve forgiveness. Satan speaks loudly and if we are not living in God's presence, we are living in Satan's. 

Think about that for a moment.

There are only TWO masters we can choose from, but one thing we cannot choose, is to live without a master.  One master will give us the illusion that we serve no master but ourselves, but that's all it is, an illusion. Many accept this illusion and believe themselves superior to those who choose to deny the illusion. They'll even go so far as to tell those who believe that they are the ones believing in an illusion.  The truth is buried beneath deception and as long as we choose NOT to live in the presence of God, we are choosing to live in the presence of Satan. 

The work of God is to believe in our Savior, and to believe is to truly live as Christ is a REALITY, a living, breathing, loving, dying, God in flesh, God risen, our King. 

Please forgive us, please save us, please open our hearts and minds to YOU are our truth, our reality.

Please, not because we deserve it but because Christ loves us, Christ died for us!

Please.

Through Jesus Christ

Heb 13:20  Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

Heb 13:21  Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Now the God of peace…..make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight--  THROUGH Jesus Christ.

We are faced every single day of our lives with choices.

We wake up and we are faced with choices.

Every choice we make matters.

God will make us perfect in every good work to do His will.

God will work in us.

God will do all of this through Jesus Christ our LORD.

We have to choose to allow God to work in us, to make us perfect to do His will.

Consciously we have to comprehend that all we do is a reflection of the choices we make. We can't change ourselves, but we can allow ourselves to be changed.

The process of our changing isn't going to be anything like we really, really expect.

Paul was changed very unexpectedly, very profoundly and yet he was NOT given an existence free of doubt, free of carnal desires, free of the flesh.  So WHY do we imagine this is what we should be changed into?

We do imagine that, don't we?

Being changed into some amazingly humble, unbelievably kind, generous, patient, all loving person, is this our goal?

Paul wasn't changed that way, in fact none of the apostles or Christ followers that lived in the time of Christ's ministry upon earth were changed this way.  And when we read books, or hear of people, or meet people who seem to be perfect God-fearing, God-loving, people loving, generous, kind, patient person we are envisioning, we believe we too can be like them. We forget to look at God's chosen and instead we look at what we imagine God's chosen should be. I'm not saying that there aren't people who seem to be what we long to be, and maybe they really are what we long to be, but we aren't those people- we are Paul-People and by that I mean we are WRETCHED.  Christ alone will save us just as He saved Paul. Our race we are running will not be a carefree jog, but a rocky road strewn with pot holes and all uphill that we struggle to get through.

The renewal of our minds will transform us and that is by our minds being as Christ's mind. 

1Pe_4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin

1Co_2:16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

We will suffer in our flesh, we must suffer in our flesh. Christ suffered in His flesh, suffered and never gave into flesh desire. He suffered in ways we cannot fathom. We will suffer as well, suffer and by the Holy Spirit's guidance through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we will cling to our Lord, the Giver of Salvation!

More tomorrow by HIS will, by HIS grace and mercy, by HIS love!

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, now and forever!!!

AMEN.

Renewed - Kept from Evil

Renewing Our Minds

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Gal 6:15  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Eph 4:25  Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

1Pe 2:1  Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

1Pe 2:2  As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

1Pe 2:3  If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

*******

Renewing - the Greek word is found in one other place in the New Testament- Titus 3:5 - 

Tit 3:1  Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,

Tit 3:2  To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

Tit 3:3  For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

Tit 3:4  But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

Tit 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Tit 3:6  Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

Tit 3:7  That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Tit 3:8  This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

*******

The washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

We are SAVED according to our Savior's mercy we are saved by the washing of regeneration, we are saved by the renewing of the Holy Ghost. 

We are TOLD to DO THINGS, to BE CERTAIN WAYS, all while being reminded that we were once caught up in very sinful ways.

How disheartening to still be caught up in sinful ways- speaking evil of others, brawling, being harsh-not gentle, not showing meekness to all, foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving different lusts and pleasures, living in malice, living in envy, being hateful and hating others and the list goes on and on and on.

We abhor ourselves for our sins. We CRY OUT with Paul about how wretched we truly are. We know to do good and do it not and it plagues us!  We long for refreshing, for renewing, for regeneration, for change by the HOLY SPIRIT and it seems to elude us. We want… I should stop saying we, I don't know that anyone else suffers with this like I do.  I want a magic cure, an instantaneous transformation, I want God to fix me in such a way that I don't have to make any conscious effort at all to change because I find it too hard to change, I feel I can't change myself.  I know God WILL fix me, HE will change me but it is NOT going to be in such a way that I lose my ability to make choices, even if that's what I want.  We are going to struggle. We are going to live in this awful world because we can't be taken out of it. God will keep us from evil, as Jesus prayed for Him to do, but that doesn't mean we are taken out of the spiritual war and put in a nice cushy office job far from the front lines. 

'thou shouldest keep'  G5083 (Greek)

τηρέω

tēreō

tay-reh'-o

From τηρός teros (a watch; perhaps akin to G2334); to guard (from loss or injury, properly by keeping the eye upon;

and thus DIFFERING  from G5442, which is properly to prevent escaping; AND FROM G2892, which implies a fortress or full military lines of apparatus), that is, to note (a prophecy; figuratively to fulfil a command); by implication to detain (in custody; figuratively to maintain); by extension to withhold (for personal ends; figuratively to keep unmarried)

: - hold fast, keep (-er), (ob-, pre-, re) serve, watch.'

(From Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries)

God will guard us, God will hold fast to us, God will watch over us. God will keep us from the evil, from all that will keep us from HIM if we are truly, and wholly desiring to be His, believing our Savior will save us.  We believe, and our Savior will help our unbelief.

We cannot GIVE UP!

We can never stop serving God with our minds, never! Our minds will be RENEWED by the Holy Spirit, in God's way, by His will and we may not comprehend the how's, the why's, the wherefore's but it will be done!

We may… I may be fighting this awful war and I may be losing battle after battle after battle, but by the GRACE of our LORD THROUGH HIM, BY HIM I will be HIS, forever, victorious through HIM, my SAVIOR!

More tomorrow by the will and grace of our God, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In His love, now and forever!

AMEN.

Renew-Transform

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Transformed.

G3339

met-am-or-fo'-o

From G3326 and G3445; to transform (literally or figuratively “metamorphose”): - change, transfigure, transform.

Mat 17:2

And was transfigured G3339 before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

Mar 9:2

And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured G3339 before them.

Rom 12:2

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed G3339 by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

2 Co 3:18

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed G3339 into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

*******

We can easily comprehend the miracle of our Savior transforming before Peter, James, and John, can't we? He changed, His appearance changed literally right there before their very eyes. They saw this change, all three of them were witness to this actual transformation. Jesus' face which wasn't shining before was now shining, and not just a little bit, but like the SUN! The clothes He was wearing were ordinary every day apparel, nothing spectacular. Now those same clothes were transformed into white clothing as brilliant as the sun light. The Savior who appear as any normal human being outwardly for His entire ministry with these disciples was suddenly and unexpectedly CHANGED!

Let's read that entire encounter-

Mat 17:1  And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

Mat 17:2  And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

Mat 17:3  And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

Mat 17:4  Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

Mat 17:5  While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

Mat 17:6  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

Mat 17:7  And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

Mat 17:8  And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

Mat 17:9  And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

Mat 17:10  And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?

Mat 17:11  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.

Mat 17:12  But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.

Mat 17:13  Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

Not only did they see Jesus changed, they saw Elias and Moses, two men of God who were taken to heaven- Elias without seeing death at all, and Moses, who was very special to God.  Abraham, David, and a host of many others were not seen because they were still in their graves.  But Elias and Moses were there in figure with Jesus, all three of them in the brilliant light bright as the sun itself.  And then, while these three stood there God the Father spoke from heaven- 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him.' 

We can use our imaginations and comprehend the great miracle that had just occurred for these three apostles. They fell down, their faces to the ground and were SORE afraid.  This wondrous miracle put them into a state of shock. They didn't move at all until Jesus came over to them and touched them, speaking to them, telling them to not be afraid. Then they opened their eyes and saw only Jesus, no longer transformed and no longer accompanied by Moses and Elias. Things were back to normal for them. 

Imagine witnessing such an amazing transformation! The next time the word transformation is used in God's word is …

Rom 12:2

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed G3339 by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

And then…

2 Co 3:18

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed G3339 into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

A change must take place in us and it's a change that takes time, it's a change that has to happen if we may prove what is that good and acceptable, perfect will of God!  Truly we must be changed, and it's with Christ's mind in us that changes us. We don't change ourselves but we let ourselves be changed when we seek the Lord with ALL our heart! A true seeking, a true desire, a true knowledgeable belief that goes beyond our awful carnal flesh nature that will do all it can to keep us from this very special spiritual life, this spiritual transformation.

Throughout our lives we who are older can look back and see how we've changed over the years. Sometimes we can pinpoint moments change occurred or began to occur. Other times we look back and don't understand how or when, but we'd changed. And still other times we've set out very purposefully to make changes in our life sometimes we've succeeded and other times failed.  We need to very purposefully determine to know our God, our Savior. We must.

To change, to transform we need to RENEW our minds.

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Gal 6:15  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Eph 4:25  Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

1Pe 2:1  Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

1Pe 2:2  As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

1Pe 2:3  If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

More on RENEWING tomorrow, by the grace of God.

All in the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord now and forever!

Amen.

Spirit of our mind

Let's recap the notations made from yesterday's Biblical verses--

Love God - with all our MIND. Loving God - with all our MIND- the first commandment. Readiness of MIND- searched the scriptures daily.  Humility of MIND. With our MIND - serve the law of God. We cannot have a carnal MIND- a MIND focused on the flesh nature. The same MIND towards each other. MIND not high things. Be not wise in our own conceits. Be one MIND - glorify God. We have the MIND of Christ! A willing MIND. Be of one MIND. We must not walk in the vanity of our MIND. Put off the old corrupt man filled with deceitful lusts- be renewed in the spirit of our MINDS! One MIND striving together for the faith of the gospel. The same love- one accord- one MIND. We must not MIND earthly things. We are alienated and enemies in our MINDS by wicked works. A sound MIND from God. God's laws in our MINDS! We must gird up our MINDS- be sober, hope to the end. One MIND- compassionate-love-pitying-courteous. Same MIND as Christ.

(Mar_12:30, Act_17:11, Act_20:19, Rom_7:25, Rom_8:7, Rom_12:16, Rom_15:6, 1Co_2:16, 2Co 8:12, 2Co_13:11, Eph_4:17,  Eph 4:22,23, Php_1:27, Php_2:2, Php_3:19, Col_1:21, 2Ti_1:7, Heb_8:10 , 1Pe_1:13, 1Pe_3:8, 1Pe_4:1)

We cannot expect to be transformed if we do not really desire transformation. And if we don't really desire transformation and yet we are still plagued by the desire to be wholly God's, we need to pray for that desire to be realized in us. We have to be ACTIVE spiritually in our own lives. If we leave off all things spiritual you can be assured that Christ will not know you.

How many people have you met over the years of your life that if you saw them again today you would never know you even met them?  How many neighbors in your neighborhood are strangers to you? You could see someone all the time and never know them. There is going to be a majority in the Christian realm of people who are not known by Christ.  They could be among those who perhaps accepted Christ at some point in their lives and then went on to forget Him. They could be among those who go to church every week, have Bible study every day, and yet what they are doing is putting on the outward trappings of Christianity without any real relationship with Christ. They could treat their relationship with Christ as a part of life that is necessary, but not heartfelt. They could wear the cloak of Christ, but it's a superficial garment they take off as needed and set aside.  There are many degrees of Christianity and I cannot ever judge another's walk with Christ! Not ever! I know my own heart is wicked and all too often I belong on my knees begging for forgiveness more than I belong doing anything else. I'm a wretched human being for sure. However, like Paul, I am going to serve Christ with my MIND! My MIND!

Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

THE MIND! Our minds! Do you catch the significance of comprehending how important it is to be transformed BY the RENEWING of our minds?

Can we be transformed? The answer to that has to be YES, a resounding YES. Because if we could not be transformed, why would our God want us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind?

If our minds remain not renewed then we cannot serve the law of God with our minds.  The spirit of our mind needs renewing.

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind

A conscious thought, a controlled thought, a determination, a decision, we can CHOOSE, we must choose to serve God, and no other not even self, especially not self. 

The same mind as Christ.

More on this tomorrow by the grace of our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, our Lord now and forever!

Amen.

Transformation

The renewing of our mind will transform us…

Do you want to be transformed?

Do you need to be transformed?

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

We are being given instructions - these are Spirit inspired, God given, Christ approved instructions for US.

We MUST choose NOT TO BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD.

We MUST choose TO BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF OUR MINDS.

Mat_22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

LOVE GOD - with ALL OUR MIND.

Mar_12:30  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

LOVING GOD - with all our MIND- the FIRST COMMANDMENT.

Act_17:11  These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

READINESS OF MIND- SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY.

Act_20:19  Serving the Lord with all humility of mind

HUMILITY OF MIND.

Rom_7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

With our MIND - SERVE THE LAW OF GOD.

Rom_8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be

We cannot have a CARNAL mind- a MIND focused on the flesh nature.

Rom_12:16  Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

The SAME MIND TOWARDS EACH OTHER.

MIND NOT HIGH THINGS.

BE NOT WISE in our OWN CONCEITS.

Rom_15:6  That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

BE ONE MIND - GLORIFY GOD.

1Co_2:16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST!

2Co 8:12  For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

A WILLING MIND.

2Co_13:11  Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

BE OF ONE MIND.

Eph_4:17  This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind

WE MUST NOT WALK IN THE VANITY OF OUR MINDS.

Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind

PUT OFF THE OLD CORRUPT MAN FILLED WITH DECEITFUL LUSTS- BE RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF OUR MINDS!

Php_1:27  Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel

ONE MIND STRIVING TOGETHER FOR THE FAITH OF THE GOSPEL.

Php_2:2  Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

THE SAME LOVE- ONE ACCORD- ONE MIND.

Php_3:19  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

WE MUST NOT MIND EARTHLY THINGS.

Col_1:21  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

WE ARE ALIENATED AND ENEMIES IN OUR MINDS BY WICKED WORKS.

2Ti_1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

A SOUND MIND FROM GOD.

Heb_8:10  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people

GOD'S LAWS IN OUR MINDS!

1Pe_1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ

WE MUST GIRD UP OUR MINDS- BE SOBER, HOPE TO THE END.

1Pe_3:8  Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous

ONE MIND- COMPASSIONATE-LOVE-PITYING-COURTEOUS

1Pe_4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin

SAME MIND AS CHRIST.

As you can tell, our minds are talked about quite a bit. We can't ignore the transforming of our minds, we can't without turning a blind eye to truth. 

Satan has talked about brainwashing and cults until people are fearful of any mind transformation, any non-conformity with the world. We are called rebels and troublemakers when we dare to not-conform. We are called crazy and lunatics when we speak about mind transformation. Satan has done his job well.

The truth is we really do have to have a mind transformation. We really do have to NOT conform to the world.

So let me ask you- do you stick out like a sore thumb in our world? Or do you fit right in with the world? Is it a comfortable fit? Put yourself in a group of a hundred strangers, do you fit it? You have to ask yourself these things.  What about fifty people? Twenty? Ten?  We try to fit in, we go to great lengths to fit in, to belong, to feel at home and comfortable with others.  We laugh at jokes that inwardly a small voice is telling us we shouldn't be laughing at. We catch ourselves saying things a minute too late and then keeping on saying things because we can't seem to shut up. The remorse fills us and the need to confess, to repent grows and we feel an awful sense of guilt and despair.  We are caught up in a huge trap of Satan's devising and he knows how to use it so well.

More tomorrow, all by the GRACE and MERCY of our GOD!

All in the love of our SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD!

AMEN!

Are you conformed to the world?

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Our minds. Our thoughts. Our actions will reveal our dominant beliefs for the most part. A person can hide a belief for various reasons, but a Christ follower will -by the grace of God and His power- live a life that relieves their belief in Christ. Our minds must be RENEWED if we are to be TRANSFORMED from our flesh nature to our spirit nature. 

We talk about brainwashing- cults and such that have people brainwashing others and we believe brainwashing is an awful, awful thing. Even those willing to be brainwashed, we consider duped and deceived. Some believe Christ followers are brainwashed, duped, and deceived.  The truth is, those words…  be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind  … sounds an awful lot like a brainwashing technique, doesn't it? Seriously, it does! …Be not conformed to this world… is that another brainwashing bit of mumbo jumbo? 

A flashy guy stands up in a crowd on top of a soapbox and cries out… BE NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD!   A moment later he yells… BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND!

So he has a lot of attention from his audience but instead of saying another word, he steps down off of that soapbox and starts to walk away. People look at one another perplexed, a few voice their confusion wondering why the guy stopped speaking. There they have it, they are told not to be conformed and then to be transformed. 

Non-conformity.

Transformation.

This is in God's word and WE are to believe in God's word.

Do we want to be true Christ followers? If we do we CANNOT conform to this world. Let's look at that for a moment.

When this was written in the days of the Apostles the world they were living in is vastly different from the world we live in today.  Yet, sin then is sin today and all the sins committed them are committed today. The outward trappings might change but the inward trappings remain the same. All sin is self-serving, not God-serving, it is self-pleasing, not God-pleasing. The world is immersed in sin that they've called good and so sin now seems to be normal, acceptable, even godly. Serving self is paramount and sinful. We conform to this world when we choose self first in anything. Those in the Apostles era and all eras since sinned in the same way, they conformed in the same way. If we are not to be conformed to this world we have to choose God-first, not self-first at every opportunity. When we fail to do this, we must seek repentance, seek forgiveness.

The renewing of our mind will transform us- more on this tomorrow by the GRACE of our SAVIOR!

In the name of our Savior, God's Son, Jesus Christ our LORD, now and forever!

AMEN.