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
Romans 12:1-2 NASB
We really have not spent much time
focusing on the end of Romans 12:2 as we
have moved through 50 Days of
Transformation. Paul’s call to
transformation has a purpose and that is what is stated at the end of the
verse. The blessing of transformation is
a valuable asset for the believer who desires to know more about God and find
the peace and purpose He has promised.
Let’s allow God to guide our understanding of so
that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable
and perfect.
Understanding
Through the Spirit -
Developing our spiritual health opens the door for God’s Word
and purpose to become clear. Jesus
repeatedly said, "He who has ears to hear, let him
hear.” as He spoke to the people. It is clear that understanding spiritual
things cannot be accomplished with “fleshly” minds. Paul exhorts us to be transformed for the
purpose of comprehending, validating and following God’s plan.
The Greek word used here for prove is dokimazō and is
commonly applied to metals, to the operation of testing, or trying them by the
severity of fire, etc. Hence, it also means to explore, investigate, ascertain.
The sense is, that such a renewed mind is essential to a successful inquiry
after the will of God. Having a disposition to obey him, the mind will be
prepared to understand his precepts.
Even as children we have wanted to know “why” we had to do
something. It just seems that if we know
the purpose we may be more interested in doing what we are asked. Obedience should not be dismissed when the
purpose cannot be known, but knowing “why” something is required does provide
increased willingness to obey; especially when we discover it will benefit our
lives.
Spiritual truth is not discovered so much as it is discerned.
God has not hidden His truth but will reveal it to the spiritual
seeker. One of the problems people have
in discerning God is their refusal to stop listening with physical ears. The writer of Proverbs calls for us to seek
wisdom in order to gain discernment and understanding.
My son, if you will
receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, Make your ear
attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; For if you cry for
discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver And
search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the
LORD And discover the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; From His
mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs 2:1-6 NASB
Seeking to know God and His ways requires a different kind of hearing
that is based in a desire to know Him, not define Him.
What we have received
is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may
understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words
taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining
spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit
does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them
foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through
the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:12-14 NIV
As you continue your quest for
Spiritual Health, be intentional about listening from your spirit and not from
your brain. Seeking to know God and not
just understand Him is beginning of a relationship with Him. Are you ready hear Him?
Scripture to Claim:
"My sheep hear
My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; John 10:27 NASB
