Sunday Sermons
Be Transformed
Be Transformed
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
The wise realize their need for transformation, and after hearing all their lives the slanted, irrational ideas and advice of the world, they understand their need for a new way of thinking. The world not only gets the concept of genuine love wrong (Romans 12:9), what's more, it frequently gets quite confused over the difference between good and evil (Isaiah 5:20). I know that those who are truly transformed will show it in their attitude and how they live (12:9-21).
Let Love be without Hypocrisy:
In a world that is filled with people faking all sorts of things to gain some kind of selfish advantage, our love for God doesn’t exist to impress others (Matthew 6:1ff), because real love instead springs from a deep sense of gratitude, and is both heartfelt and genuine.
Abhor what is Evil:
Do you hate it? Do you treat it with disgust? Do you have the attitude, “I don’t want to be associated or have anything to do with that”? Do you run from it? Avoid it? Expose it for what it really is? Do you warn others about it (2 Timothy 2:22; Ephesians 5:11)? Of course all such life-changing activity requires skill in recognizing evil, and such skill is only acquired by a mind filled with Scripture (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22; Hebrews 5:14).
Cling to what is Good:
Practice Romans 12:9 and it will make you instantly shine and stand out from the world as a light, for the world either ignores evil acting like it doesn’t exist, or it condones evil, justifies it, or, worst of all, encourages, celebrates, pays hard earned money for it, addictively watches it, and envies those who practice evil. Instead, set your mind to glue yourself to good, keep pursuing it relentlessly, continue moving toward it, keep grabbing after it and when you have found what God calls "good", hold onto it with all that is in you and don’t let it go for anything!
Detecting Evil
Spotting evil is far from an impossible task. Besides what was noted previously with regard to filling our minds with words of God, the Holy Spirit has often provided a number of name-by-name, or practice-by-practice, or attitude-by-sinful attitude lists. Such lists are found in Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Timothy 1:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and are quite handy for those determined to love only goodness. When you look at such lists there is often no explanation needed for what is condemned and said to keep people out of heaven. We need no dictionary definition to understand what kidnapping, murder, lying, perjury, envy, jealousy, homosexuality or drunkenness mean.
Sexual Immorality
Sexual immorality or fornication is all sexual activities outside of the marriage relationship. For centuries the world has attempted to justify sexual activities outside of marriage by arguing that such things are only bodily functions, or that it is unreasonable to expect young people to remain a virgin until they marry, or that such urges are simply impossible to keep in check during the single years. Others cannot see how sex before marriage could be wrong or why God would object to it. Yet among other things, it is wrong because I am using someone selfishly when engaged in such a practice (Ephesians 5:3). I am taking from them without offering my whole hearted commitment (1 Thessalonians 4:6). I am robbing or stealing from them something that should only be given to someone who will really love them – for the rest of their lives. What would you think of someone who claimed to be a Veteran and who took advantage of that supposed Veteran status? We would think they are doing something lousy. Yet this is exactly the same type of thing that people are doing when committing sexual immorality. They are acting like they are married – when they have not paid the dues and made the commitment.
Such Were Some of You: 1 Corinthians 6:11
When the Corinthians came to Jesus, repented of their sins, confessed their faith in Him, and were baptized, something drastic happened. Paul describes this event as being washed, sanctified and justified. And although these Christians had been habitually involved in such things as fornication for a while (6:9) they stopped such practices. They were forgiven. They were given new lives (Romans 6:3-5). And such sins no longer had dominion over them (Romans 6:13-16).
How Could They Stop?
Now and then the world has argued that such practices as described in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 cannot be stopped. Yet over the centuries Christians have – how?
Because the fact that Jesus loved me so much that he died on the cross for me cuts right across the motivation that has tied and enslaved me to such behaviors. I may have started one or a couple of them from the motivation of being angry at life, or being really hurt in the past and I was looking for comfort and something to numb the pain. I may have felt sorry for myself, I might be trying to make others feel sorry for me, or even punish others by going into such things – like the little boy who plans to run away from home – and “they will be sorry”. I might have started simply looking for lasting pleasure and real happiness. When I encountered Jesus I realized that I don’t need any of these things any more in my life. Because they never brought any lasting pleasure. They also brought with them guilt and lots of other complications. Yes, they did bring some feel good moments but they also brought many severe and depressing lows as well.
What is Your Angle?
If I was involved in one or some of the sins mentioned in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and people were telling me that I could not change, then my question to them would be:
- “Why are you against me changing?”
- “What advantage do you have in wanting me to maintain such behaviors?”
- “If I remain like I am – how does that benefit you?”
Would It Be Evil To…
Develop, market, advertize and sell a beverage or other product that has no redeeming value? A product that a person can become addicted to after trying it just once and become so addicted that they would do just about anything for it? A product that will impair a person’s judgment? A product that will result in a lot of divorces, child abuse, child neglect, wife abuse, gambling, car accidents, innocent people getting hurt and financial ruin? A product that will simply ruin marriages and lives? How evil is it to write a song, play, movie or television script that leads people astray? That gives them the completely wrong idea about love, marriage or truth? An idea that when people implement it into their own lives, leads only to tragic consequences?
Would it be evil to design, market and sell clothing that only exists to tease, entice and stir up lust?
Would it be evil to come up with a theory – on anything that attempts to take God out of the picture, out of the solution and out of the answer? A theory that instead simply and solely points people to fallible and limited man as having the answer?
Two Worlds Colliding
The world has attempted to remove God from any conversation or solution. Decades ago our culture removed God from the classroom, removed God from how the world came into existence and how life originated, removed God from the answer to human relationships and personal problems, removed God from sexual morality, from marriage and divorce, and is presently seeking to remove God from the very idea of marriage or gender. For decades, some have claimed that what the Bible taught on sex, home, family, men and women, etc… is either hopelessly antiquated or is hateful. So much of the current animosity toward Christianity is all about what the Bible says about sexual immorality. Today, as in the day if Isaiah, so many people get quite upset when they hear what the Bible says about marriage and the family, and instead call good evil, and evil good (Isaiah 5:20). Thus, with some people still left in the culture who believe what the Bible says – or at least see the wisdom in having a biblical moral foundation, no wonder there is tension, for two worlds are presently colliding. Jesus warned us about this. When light and darkness collide there will be tension and there will be a battle (John 3:19). He also decided that you would be born when and where you were, so by the strength He supplies, stand firm, stand strong, shine brightly, find you voice, be valiant and make the world a better place! You were born for this!
Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net
