Transformed
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Romans 11
33. Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor?"
35 "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?"
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.
Romans 12
1. 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.
2 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.
1. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his
judgments,…”
The very concept of God is beyond our understanding.
How can we understand the eternal nature of God?
How could we ever understand his grace? When someone hurts or offends us, we remember. We want
to pay back or get even.
Eph 2:4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, (NIV)
Eph 2:5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have
been saved. (NIV)
Eph 2:6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ
Jesus, (NIV)
Eph 2:7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,
expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (NIV)
God gives us a “…peace that is beyond understanding…”
The blind man who was miraculously healed by Jesus (last week sermon) didn’t understand God. He
didn’t understand all the spiritual principles. He didn’t understand theology. But he knew one thing -
Joh 9:25 He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but
now I see!" (NIV)
People accept what works, whether they understand it or not.
God’s grace and kindness to us is beyond anything we can conceive of. He offers forgiveness even
though we are guilty of sin, because He made provision through His Son, Jesus, who suffered the
punishment of our sins for us.
2. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,
holy and pleasing to God—“
When someone gives you something – especially something you do not deserve – you should thank
them. You should show your gratitude. (I am amazed at how many people in this world fail to say a
simple ‘thank you’.)
In many cultures, when someone gives you a gift, it is customary to give them back something of equal
value. Now, we could never pay God back for His gift to us. But since He gave His life for us, the right
thing to do is give our lives back to Him.
When Jesus died on the cross, he purchased you. When man sinned, he became the property of
Satan. But when Jesus died on the cross, He bought us back from Satan, and now we are the property
of God once again.
1 Co 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have
received from God? You are not your own; (NIV)
1 Co 6:20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body. (NIV)
Understand this – you belong to God. I want all of us to enjoy the privileges of ‘freedom in Christ’. But
we must realize that freedom has a price. Jesus paid a high price for your freedom, and you owe Him.
What does He want? He wants you!
Now listen to the next verse in Romans 12 –
3. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind.”
Conform means to take the shape of.
Crème Caramel comes in the shape of a little bowl upside down. Why? Because they poured it in a
bowl and left it there until it took the shape of the bowl.
If you pour yourself into the world, you will look just like the world. If you pour yourself into Jesus, you
will look like Jesus.
But the Bible says that we should be transformed into the image of Christ.
Ro 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son,
that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (AV)
We are transformed by the renewing of our minds. How does that happen?
Eph 4:22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being
corrupted by its deceitful desires; (NIV)
Eph 4:23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; (NIV)
Eph 4:24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (NIV)
We are renewed by the Word of God. As we read it, it changes us.
We are renewed by the Spirit of God. As we follow His leading, we become like Christ.
We are renewed by fellowship with other believers. As we spend time together with other believers, we
influence one another.
Heb 10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. (NIV)
Heb 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds. (NIV)
Heb 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage
one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (NIV)
The world will continually try to press us into its mold. The Bible tells us that in the ends times – just
before Jesus returns – that many will turn away from the faith.
Let me tell you that you do not have to leave the church to turn away from the faith. All you have to do
is compromise with the world.
Don’t let the world spoil you! Be transformed! Grow in the likeness of Christ.
Let me say this very clearly – Salvation through Christ is not simply a rescue from death and
destruction. It is the beginning of a new life in Him. It is a second chance to get it right. It is a new start.
But once you start, it is important to follow through. God wants more than just to save you. He wants to
give you abundant life – better life – a life of holiness before Him. A life conformed to His image.
Salvation will change you. If it doesn’t, you didn’t get it. When you are transformed, you will transform
the world around you.
When a caterpillar goes into a cocoon, it comes out totally different than when it went in. It went through
a radical transformation. So must we!
The New Testament Letters give us many passages with specific instruction on how to live as followers
of Christ together. I want to emphasize here that the Bible is not an academic book that you must learn
and debate with. Bible knowledge is not for the sake of education, but for the sake of transformation.
How much Bible you know is not the important thing. How much Bible you live is.
Let me share a passage from 1 Thessalonians that give some instruction on living as a believer.
1 Thessalonians 4
3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;
4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honourable,
5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;
6 and that in this matter no-one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will
punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.
7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
9. Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by
God to love each other.
10 And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so
more and more.
11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands,
just as we told you,
12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on
anybody.
33. Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor?"
35 "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?"
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.
Romans 12
1. 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.
2 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.
1. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his
judgments,…”
The very concept of God is beyond our understanding.
How can we understand the eternal nature of God?
How could we ever understand his grace? When someone hurts or offends us, we remember. We want
to pay back or get even.
Eph 2:4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, (NIV)
Eph 2:5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have
been saved. (NIV)
Eph 2:6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ
Jesus, (NIV)
Eph 2:7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,
expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (NIV)
God gives us a “…peace that is beyond understanding…”
The blind man who was miraculously healed by Jesus (last week sermon) didn’t understand God. He
didn’t understand all the spiritual principles. He didn’t understand theology. But he knew one thing -
Joh 9:25 He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but
now I see!" (NIV)
People accept what works, whether they understand it or not.
God’s grace and kindness to us is beyond anything we can conceive of. He offers forgiveness even
though we are guilty of sin, because He made provision through His Son, Jesus, who suffered the
punishment of our sins for us.
2. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,
holy and pleasing to God—“
When someone gives you something – especially something you do not deserve – you should thank
them. You should show your gratitude. (I am amazed at how many people in this world fail to say a
simple ‘thank you’.)
In many cultures, when someone gives you a gift, it is customary to give them back something of equal
value. Now, we could never pay God back for His gift to us. But since He gave His life for us, the right
thing to do is give our lives back to Him.
When Jesus died on the cross, he purchased you. When man sinned, he became the property of
Satan. But when Jesus died on the cross, He bought us back from Satan, and now we are the property
of God once again.
1 Co 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have
received from God? You are not your own; (NIV)
1 Co 6:20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body. (NIV)
Understand this – you belong to God. I want all of us to enjoy the privileges of ‘freedom in Christ’. But
we must realize that freedom has a price. Jesus paid a high price for your freedom, and you owe Him.
What does He want? He wants you!
Now listen to the next verse in Romans 12 –
3. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind.”
Conform means to take the shape of.
Crème Caramel comes in the shape of a little bowl upside down. Why? Because they poured it in a
bowl and left it there until it took the shape of the bowl.
If you pour yourself into the world, you will look just like the world. If you pour yourself into Jesus, you
will look like Jesus.
But the Bible says that we should be transformed into the image of Christ.
Ro 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son,
that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (AV)
We are transformed by the renewing of our minds. How does that happen?
Eph 4:22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being
corrupted by its deceitful desires; (NIV)
Eph 4:23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; (NIV)
Eph 4:24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (NIV)
We are renewed by the Word of God. As we read it, it changes us.
We are renewed by the Spirit of God. As we follow His leading, we become like Christ.
We are renewed by fellowship with other believers. As we spend time together with other believers, we
influence one another.
Heb 10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. (NIV)
Heb 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds. (NIV)
Heb 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage
one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (NIV)
The world will continually try to press us into its mold. The Bible tells us that in the ends times – just
before Jesus returns – that many will turn away from the faith.
Let me tell you that you do not have to leave the church to turn away from the faith. All you have to do
is compromise with the world.
Don’t let the world spoil you! Be transformed! Grow in the likeness of Christ.
Let me say this very clearly – Salvation through Christ is not simply a rescue from death and
destruction. It is the beginning of a new life in Him. It is a second chance to get it right. It is a new start.
But once you start, it is important to follow through. God wants more than just to save you. He wants to
give you abundant life – better life – a life of holiness before Him. A life conformed to His image.
Salvation will change you. If it doesn’t, you didn’t get it. When you are transformed, you will transform
the world around you.
When a caterpillar goes into a cocoon, it comes out totally different than when it went in. It went through
a radical transformation. So must we!
The New Testament Letters give us many passages with specific instruction on how to live as followers
of Christ together. I want to emphasize here that the Bible is not an academic book that you must learn
and debate with. Bible knowledge is not for the sake of education, but for the sake of transformation.
How much Bible you know is not the important thing. How much Bible you live is.
Let me share a passage from 1 Thessalonians that give some instruction on living as a believer.
1 Thessalonians 4
3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;
4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honourable,
5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;
6 and that in this matter no-one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will
punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.
7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
9. Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by
God to love each other.
10 And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so
more and more.
11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands,
just as we told you,
12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on
anybody.