Wednesday, March 4, 2015

50 Days of Transformation - March 4th

It seems the winter weather has changed the schedules for our Transformation Series.  We will continue the series on Mental Health in NEXT WEEK’S DEVOTIONALS.  This week, let’s stay focused on transformation with some additional thoughts on Romans 12:2 and our SPIRITUAL and PHYSICAL transformation. You will find the questions from your Transformed book at the end which you can answer in the Notes pages or on the blank pages in the back of your Transformed book.


Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.  Romans 12:1-2 NASB

The first week in 50 Days of Transformation we focused in Spiritual Health.  This differs from other types of change in our lives that can be accomplished through accommodating our lives to standards and rules or following a philosophy or creed.  Let’s look a little deeper into this.

Conformation or Transformation Require Surrender
Surrender of flesh = conformity - And do not be conformed to this world
Paul warns against matching our lives to the fashions of this world.  People don’t like others being different as much as they champion diversity.  The recent hot topic has been over a dress that some see as gold and white and others see as black and blue.  Heated discussions have occurred as each side attempts to persuade the others to lay down what they perceive and accept what must be right…what they see.  We are uncomfortable when people don’t agree.  It’s easier to just go along to get along.  The problem is chameleon-like living creates a loss of personal identity.  Conformity invites compromise of all our lives.  Don't let the world decide what you are going to be.  This is normally done for acceptance by others.  We are “being” conformed!  That means there is pressure to change from the world that must be addressed in our lives.

Surrender of mind = transformation - but be transformed by the renewing of your mind
The word "transformed" means to change your outward expression to be representative of and consistent with your inward nature.  We understand that very person has the choice of living "according to the flesh" or "according to the Spirit".  In other words, our choices are in response to the power of one or the other.  Therefore, if our SPIRITUAL HEALTH is weak, our ability to stand against the old nature and have our minds directed by the Spirit is compromised.  This renovation of our mental processes is created by the existence of the mind of Christ taking control of our lives and exercising transforming power to change us. 

Surrender which is ongoing = growth
While conversion is instantaneous we find that transformation is life involving.  Someone said it this way, "It took God just one day to get the children of Israel out of Egypt, but it took God forty years to get Egypt out of the children of Israel."  God can change a person's heart in a moment, but it takes a lifetime to get the sinful habits out of that individual.  The person who ceases to agree with God concerning their need of change ceases to see the individual God desires to create.

It is clear then that everyone is either being conformed or transformed.  If you want to know which one is impacting you then ask this question:  Am I more like Christ today than I was before or more like the world?  It’s a hard question to answer but necessary to reveal who has control of our lives.

Scripture to Claim:
Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. Colossians 3:2


Questions and Prayer:

What Did You Hear?
What Do You Think?
What Will You Do?
Now Talk to God...

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