Reimaged
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Romans 12:1-2
How has the gospel changed you? What do you do differently to the patterns of this world? I’m genuinely in awe of what God has done in me. I was crippled by my selfishness. I was lost in purposelessness. I was a swearing, drinking, gossiping, proud, heartless and manipulative human. I was a broken and twisted image of God.
At the heart of the gospel is transformation, turning from sin and turning to godliness. Romans 12 says we are transformed - but into what? Romans 8 is the clue. Paul tells us that all things are working together so that we would be conformed to the image of His Son. We are turning from conformity to the pattern of this world to conformity in Christ’s image. We should look less like our world and more like Him.
Interestingly, this process begins with the renewing of our mind. We need to think differently, see the world differently and discipline ourselves to live differently.
Our world tells us that certain things are good/bad or that certain purposes are good/bad. The gospel changes all of this. The renewing of our mind begins the process of transformation as we pursue God’s version of good and reject the worlds. And as we will see next week, it’s better.
For now, picture it. Outside of Christ we would be like a coin with - well a world stamped on it. But through Christ and because of Him, we have been stamped with a new image → we bear His image and by His Spirit, we are looking more like Him every day.
For Today:
Pray:
Romans 12:1-2
How has the gospel changed you? What do you do differently to the patterns of this world? I’m genuinely in awe of what God has done in me. I was crippled by my selfishness. I was lost in purposelessness. I was a swearing, drinking, gossiping, proud, heartless and manipulative human. I was a broken and twisted image of God.
At the heart of the gospel is transformation, turning from sin and turning to godliness. Romans 12 says we are transformed - but into what? Romans 8 is the clue. Paul tells us that all things are working together so that we would be conformed to the image of His Son. We are turning from conformity to the pattern of this world to conformity in Christ’s image. We should look less like our world and more like Him.
Interestingly, this process begins with the renewing of our mind. We need to think differently, see the world differently and discipline ourselves to live differently.
Our world tells us that certain things are good/bad or that certain purposes are good/bad. The gospel changes all of this. The renewing of our mind begins the process of transformation as we pursue God’s version of good and reject the worlds. And as we will see next week, it’s better.
For now, picture it. Outside of Christ we would be like a coin with - well a world stamped on it. But through Christ and because of Him, we have been stamped with a new image → we bear His image and by His Spirit, we are looking more like Him every day.
For Today:
- Have you experienced transformation in your life? How?
- What is one area of your life that needs to be conformed to Christ?
- Praise God for the transformation you’ve experienced.
Pray:
- Praise the Father that we were made in His image.
- Give thanks for Christ who saved us from the world.
- Ask God to help you and others by His Holy Spirit to be transformed into the image of Christ by the renewing of your mind.
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