Sermon Central
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Are You Religious? (Part Three) Series
Contributed by Derrick Tuper on Nov 28, 2017 (message contributor)
Summary: What does it mean to become polluted by the world? To be polluted means our thinking and behaviors are of the world. We are subscribing to its philosophies and ideals. We are liviing in accordance with the sinful nature. So how do we become unpolluted?
*Transform. Rom. 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. 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."
I will be able to keep myself from being polluted by the world when I am willing to present myself to God as a living sacrifice. When I have chosen to honor God by devoting my life to his service then I'm committed to getting rid of the evil and moral filth. And when I'm committed to have my mind renewed I will keep myself from being polluted. If we're committed to the renewing of our minds we will begin to see the things of the world as pollution; something to reject not embrace.
When my mind is polluted I will see God's will as bad, unpleasant and warped. But, when I have a renewed mind, an unpolluted mind I am able to see God's will as good, pleasing and perfect. And when I see God's will as such then I will be much more apt to subscribe and fulfill it in my daily walk.
Renewing the mind means I am replacing one mindset with another. I am replacing a mind that once was in agreement with worldly philosophies and ideals. And once it was exposed as being against God's mindset I chose to adopt his mindset. So, I'm exchanging values, ideology, my sense of right and wrong, my view of what is impure; all that. When my mind is being transformed I'll be focused on things that are positive and spiritual. Then, my thoughts won't be polluted, they will be pure.
Phil. 4:8, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Being unpolluted means being transformed; being transformed means thinking about spiritual things and meditating on what is involved in this list. Think of the antonym for each of these things and you see pollution. Whatever is untrue, ignoble, wrong, impure, ugly, unworthy, deplorable or reproachable. You could add: whatever is dishonorable or cringe worthy; if it's rotten or rancid, meditate on such things. If you want to be polluted, follow this list; if you want to be unpolluted subscribe to the Phil. 4:8 list.
*Do the word. James 1:21-25, "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does."
