Copyright
April 28, 2015 by Chris Mullis
Romans 12:1-3
Introduction We use that expression, "I'm losing my mind," as a bad thing. But the truth is, if we follow Christ, we are losing our old mind and Christ is giving us a NEW mind. And that's what I want to talk about today.
Romans 12:1-3
1And so, dear brothers and
sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done
for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find
acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy
the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new
person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will
for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
Explain the Passage
The Apostle Paul gives us the image of a
sacrifice placed on an altar. At the
time Paul wrote, animal sacrifice was a common religious practice—for both Jews
and Gentiles. A living animal was
usually placed on an altar, its throat cut so the blood would drain out along
with the animal’s life. Then the animal
would be butchered, cooked over fire, and eaten, or completely incinerated with
fire. As you can imagine, it was a
startling thing to behold—something that left a lasting impression. The point is a sacrifice was complete and
irrevocable. Right? You can’t make half a sacrifice. You can’t make a sacrifice and then take it
back. It’s an all or nothing
proposal. (At least for the animal!)It’s what Jesus did for us, you see. Christ gave himself completely for us on the cross. He didn’t just do some good things. He didn’t just preach some great sermons. Jesus gave everything. He was whole-heartedly committed to God’s plan of salvation for you. He willingly sacrificed his entire life for you—even when it meant dying on a cross.
And Christ’s sacrifice makes it is possible for us to be made NEW! We can have NEW desires, a NEW way of thinking, a NEW purpose in life, NEW peace and joy and confidence, and ultimately the promise of eternal life with a NEW heaven and a NEW earth. But in order for the NEW to come, we have to let the old die. In fact, we have to trust Jesus enough to place our old self—our old ways of thinking and living—on the altar as a sacrifice. For when you sacrifice our old life, Jesus will make you NEW!
Thought
Transformation
The key verse for us today is verse
2a – Don’t copy the behavior and customs
of the world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way
you think. Most of us grow up
copying the behavior and customs of the world.
We do the things people around us do because we think the way they
do. In fact, if we ever see someone who
acts or thinks in a way that in noticeably different, we might even call them
weird. I know when I was in high school,
I had a few friends who lived out their Christian beliefs very faithfully. At the time, I thought they were very weird
because they didn’t act and talk and think the way most high school students
did. They stood out. They were “weird.” At the time, I thought they should just “copy
the behavior and customs” of everyone else.
Now I see they were the minority that was really doing what God
wanted. Now I wish I had been part of
that minority when I was in high school.
Now, I am—or at least I am striving to be—because I am striving to let
God transform me into a NEW person. So
what if it makes me different. So what
if it makes me weird. If it makes me
more like Christ, great!
We all need to let God transform
the way we think. Romans 12:3 says, “Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be
honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God
has given us.” So let’s apply this wisdom and think clearly and honestly about
ourselves.
First of all, you
are not the center of the world.
Regardless of what the unbelieving world insinuates, the world doesn’t
revolve around you. You are not entitled
to “Have it your way.” Your own personal
happiness is not the chief goal in
life. In fact, if you faithfully follow
Christ and live for God the way He intended for you, you will definitely need
to give up some things you want. It is a
sacrifice. (Remember how our scripture
said to sacrifice yourself to God?)
Following Christ means letting go of our selfish desires, our
self-centered motives, and serving others instead of ourselves. This is tough for many people, but we need to
let God transform our way of thinking.
Some people think
too highly of themselves. Others
struggle with thoughts that they are not important or that they are not good
enough. That’s why I like Romans 12:3 so
much. It addresses both
misunderstandings. It says, “Be honest in you evaluation of yourself.” And the Truth is, (though you are not the
center of the world) you are very important to God. God deeply loves you. He has been working out your salvation since
the beginning of time. He cared enough
to send Christ to die for you. God wants
you to be part of His mission to save
the world. That’s pretty
impressive. You must be important! So if you struggle with low self-esteem, let
God transform the way you think. You are
precious to Him.
Do you struggle
with shame or guilty? God has promised
He will forgive you if you ask. No
matter what you’ve done—how big or how small—God will forgive you. 1
John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” Shame and guilt can cripple us. It makes us hesitant in our relationship with
God and others. Shame and guilt are
constant burdens that weigh us down and slow us down in our spiritual
life. They sap the joy God wants us to
have. They can make life weary and full
of worry. So if you struggle with shame
or guilt, let God transform the way you think.
The truth is, forgiveness is available through faith in Christ. And if you believe, God does not think about
your sins anymore. They have been washed
away. God says in Isaiah 1:18, “Come
now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though
your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” If you asked God to forgive you, He
has. Now it’s time for you to let go of
your thoughts of shame and guilt. Let
God transform the way you think.
Some of you may
struggle with doubt. The unbelieving
world says this world is all there is.
Since science cannot verify the existence of an afterlife, they reject
the idea as a fantasy. Since they cannot
see God, they reason He is just a myth.
But faith helps us see that there is more to life than just what you can
see and hear and taste and touch. Faith
helps us to know that Truth is more than just facts and figures. Faith helps us to see there is always hope
even when all seems to be lost. Faith
helps us to know that the future is ultimately in God’s hands and so, there is
nothing to fear. Faith helps us to hear
God’s still small voice leading us down the right path. Faith helps us to feel God’s presence when we
need assurance that everything is going to be alright. Even if we lose this life, God has another
waiting for us in Eternity. And all the
wrongs of this world will ultimately be made right one day. It’s OK to have questions. It’s OK to have doubts. Sometimes they lead us to deeper
understanding and faith. But if your
doubts control you or keep you frozen with fear, maybe it’s time to let God
transform the way you think. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and
timidity, but of power, love,
and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) Take
hold of the power, love, and self-discipline God wants you to have. Let Him transform the way you think.
Conclusion
As I close, I join with the Apostle Paul and plead with
you, give your bodies to God as a holy and living sacrifice. Don’t hold anything back. Surrender yourself completely to the Lord and
He will transform your mind.
