LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS IN THE POWER OF GOD’S TRANSFORMATION – PART 2
We are continuing this message from where we left off last time, and this is the close – Part 2. It was a night message delivered in Boston, England in a Seminar.
The one aspect we are being taught here from the verse in Romans 12:1-2 is that SACRIFICIAL COMMITMENT IS SPIRITUAL SERVICE OF WORSHIP. This worship can be by an individual such as we see with Mary at the feet of Jesus and fully occupied with Him.
(a). {{Luke 10:39 “And she had a sister called Mary, who moreover was listening to the Lord’s word, seated at His feet.”}}
What do you think this verse might be teaching us? This well known event sees Martha rushing around getting the meal and all the rest that had to be done, and Mary seated at the Lord’s feet listening to Him. This is not a matter of Mary choosing the better part, for the word says she chose the good part. {{Luke 10:42 “but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen THE GOOD PART which shall not be taken away from her.”}} So much can be said here but I won’t explore. Just note the good part of sitting at Jesus’ feet worshipping.
(b). {{John 12:3 “Mary therefore took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and ANOINTED THE FEET OF JESUS, and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”}} She brought the best she had in service to her Lord and it was a fragrant perfume to the Lord. “Presenting ourselves” in service for the Lord is likewise a fragrant act of service. The best presentation is ourselves.
Worship is a service we perform. However it is one we WANT to perform. What is worship? It is paying the correct homage to God; it is pouring out the heart and mind to God in love. It is speaking the praise, singing the praise, and serving God in love and desire and gratefulness. We see it in the homage of the Magi in Matthew 2 when they came to ask, {{Matthew 2:2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and HAVE COME TO WORSHIP HIM.”}}
And how was this worship done? Well they paid their homage and presented him with gifts. It is important to understand what the gifts were and what their significance was. Gold was for the King of the Jews; frankincense was for His pure, delightful life lived among men; myrrh was for His suffering – the cross for man’s redemption.
(c). {{Matthew 14:33 and those WHO WERE IN THE BOAT WORSHIPPED HIM, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”}} In worship it is essential to know the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ - Who He is; and What He has done; are essential elements in worship. We should not be distracted by all sorts of filling to make an all-embracing service, and thereby lose sight of the central element of worship which is the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. 80 and 90 years ago the Olympics opened with a very simple ceremony, then the lighting of the flame, and the games began. Now there is so much clutter and razzmatazz, entertainment with one nation trying to outdo another in opening and closing ceremonies, that you wonder for a time what happened to the Games. Churches have gone the same way.
The services have become entertainment with bands and people promoting themselves, and all sorts of extravagant inclusions happen but not much time for the chief purpose and that is the Lord. Services that are presentations rather than being devoted to proper worship, do not honour the Lord. AND some of what is called singing today is not worship.
(d). {{Matthew 28:9 “and behold, Jesus met them and greeted them, and they came up and took hold of His feet AND WORSHIPPED HIM.}} The ladies were thrilled to be in the presence of their Lord. This is so important in worship, for it speaks of closeness. You can’t live your life at a distance, and worship in closeness. You must be in the Presence of the Lord, and come as His close friend, not as an estranged believer of sorts. Worship is personal, and he who does not walk in step with the Lord, cannot worship the Lord.
(e). {{John 4:23 “but an hour is coming, and now is, when the TRUE WORSHIPPERS SHALL WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH, for such people the Father seeks to be His worshippers.”}} That hour is NOW, for the Holy Spirit has come. This is a very important verse. As we are presenting ourselves to Christ, which means sacrifice and commitment, then we learn to be in the presence of the Saviour. It is then that we worship in spirit and truth but what does that mean? The Holy Spirit has been given to us for a very special reason, among other reasons. That special reason is to draw attention to the Lord, and to lead us in focus on the Lord. He shall not speak of Himself but will glorify Christ. That is how we worship in spirit as the Holy Spirit operates through our spirit in Christ-awareness and Christ-centeredness.
But then the Father wants us to worship in truth as well. How is this done? Well I see it in a dual way. Truthful with each other, but also operating in the truth of God. How is that done? Well God’s word is truth, and it is the word of God that leads us into truth, and the more we know the Bible, the more we live in its truth. It is that truth we bring to worship!
[C]. NOT CONFORMITY, BUT TRANSFORMATION – ROMANS 12 Verse 2
{{Romans 12:2 “And DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”}}
[1]. Romans 12:2 “And do NOT be CONFORMED to this world,”
Conformed means “formed with”, “joined to”, “part of”. Paul forbids this to happen with Christians, but it seems to happen with us all the time to varying degrees. The Greek word for world is “kosmos” and it has two meanings. One is “the world” when speaking of this planet “to the whole world” etc., and the other use is frequent where “world” means “the world system”. This is seen as being our enemy and what is under the control of the devil. It is the way the world acts, and all the evil of business, and politics, and entertainment, and relationships, just make up part of the world system. It is all that the flesh desires, like the vices and lusts, and practices, and all that sinful activity in the world. It is even the world’s philosophies like humanism and evolution and rationalism, capitalism and communism, all belief systems, occult practices like tarot cards, astrology (the stars), fortune telling, new age beliefs and therapies. It is all that includes the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.
We could even include worldliness that would embrace legitimate activities, but ones that become a priority over time and activity for God. Anything in this world that gives the Lord second place, is conformity to this old dead world system. God hates it. Peter said something similar to what Paul said – {{1Peter 1:14 “As obedient children, DO NOT BE CONFORMED to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance.”}} We are not to revert to what the unsaved state was in its hankering after this world system.
[2]. “but be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind,”
As the Bible often does, it sets out the wrong, then parallels that with the right. Conformity to the world is wrong, but transformation to God’s way is good. There are two passages that do set out God’s conformity, where conformity is good. These are they -
(a). {{Romans 8:29 “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, that He might be the first-born among many brethren,” AND Philippians 3:10 “THAT I MAY KNOW HIM, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being CONFORMED TO HIS DEATH.”}} However there should be no conformity to this world system but a transformation centered on THE MIND. The mind is to be renewed, but what does this mean? We can gain an understanding of this term by looking at some more scriptures.
(b). {{Matthew 16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me, for you ARE NOT SETTING YOUR MIND ON GOD’S INTERESTS, but man’s.”}} Now on face value this is a strange verse. Who could have served Christ better than Peter? Who was more interested in Christ’s interest than Peter? We must be careful with this verse. It is so critical, for too many times we miss the mark much worse than Peter did, even when we think we are doing well, and when we do that, we further the cause of stumbling. When we fail, we set back the clock on God’s interests. I think it takes discipline and honesty and above all else, the word of God, to have our minds on God’s interests. The Lord said “setting your mind on God’s interests” so this takes effort and carefulness.
(c). {{Matthew 22:37 And He said to him, “You shall LOVE the Lord your God with all your HEART, and with all your SOUL, and with all your MIND.”}} The mind plays a critical part in our attitude and therefore our love to God. I won’t dissect this further but it is a good meditation to consider what part in the love of God is played by the heart, the soul and the mind.
(d). {{Romans 8:6 “for the mind set on the flesh is death, but THE MIND SET ON THE SPIRIT IS LIFE AND PEACE.”}} This is so automatic. It is so critical a verse, and sets out the two positions before God. The mind must be available for the Spirit of God to use and instruct. Set the mind on the flesh and it will be dead. Setting the mind on the Spirit means living in a spiritual realm, a God-consciousness in your lives.
(e). {{Ephesians 2:3 “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the MIND, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”}} Our minds before salvation were lost and dead, controlled by Satan. Now the mind should be spiritual not fleshly. A fleshly Christian is called a carnal Christian and is no use to God and His ministry.
(f). Ephesians 4:23-32 “AND THAT YOU BE RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF YOUR MIND, and put on the new self which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, each one of you speak truth with his neighbour, for we are members of one another. Be angry and yet do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. Let him who steals steal no longer, but rather let him labour, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”}} This is a practical passage. We have again this expression – “renewed in the mind”. Note the “Therefore” of verse 25. If there is a “therefore”, ask, “What it is there for?” The mind is being renewed, and the spiritual realities are becoming clearer, and you are growing in Christ. However the practical issues are important, and God wants you to realise these practical matters are distilled from the spiritual mind that is being renewed.
(g). Colossians 3 v 2-3 “SET YOUR MIND on the things above, not on the things that are on earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”}} This is a crucial and specific passage and such a practical one for growth and spirituality in the Lord. The person is what his/her mind is engaged in! Paul gives only two alternatives – a mind set on things above (heavenly) or a mind set on earthly/worldly things.
[3]. “that you may PROVE WHAT THE WILL OF GOD IS, that which is GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE AND PERFECT.”
The will of God IS good. It is acceptable and it is perfect. By having your mind set on things above you will prove this. Presenting your bodies is handing over to Christ; letting the Holy Spirit change your attitudes and desires; allowing you to worship properly and having your mind set in heavenly realms. This is what God wants and He is so merciful.
• Knowing God’s will (set the mind)
• Proving God’s will
• God’s will is good
• God’s will is acceptable
• God’s will is perfect
May the Lord bless you, each one and equip us for profitable service in God’s kingdom. Amen.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
