Romans 12 - Renewing Our Minds

Mark Dunagan
11/03/13 - Sunday Evening

The Renewed Mind

In Romans 12:2 God presents an indescribably wonderful possibility:  “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."  This  great change initially happens in a person’s life when he or she repents, confesses Christ and submits to baptism.  Yet, for every Christian it is so easy to slip back into old mental ruts or pick up harmful ways of viewing things, that there remains until the end of our lives, the need for an ongoing renewing of the way we think.

“That You May Prove”

What will be “proven” at the end of time is that God was right, that His instructions in Scripture were indeed good, acceptable and perfect.  Obeying Him was the best way for everyone to live.  Yet, that is also being proven now.  As Christians we are God’s demonstrator or showroom models to the world.  We are like the perfume or lotion “tester” that people can sample, or like the ladies at Costco handing portions of tasty treats.  Non-Christians should be able to interact with us, observe us and say, “What they have works very well”.  People should be motivated to try Christianity because they see it working in us.

Don’t Skip This Step

How does one account for the fact that some people thrive and succeed in the Christian life while others do not (Luke 8:14-15).  What I have learned is that I make progress as a Christian when I accept the fact that I will not change unless I first change the way I am thinking.  When I have tried to change yet skip Romans 12:2— failure and frustration have been the result. 

Very Practical

Romans chapter 12 does not leave the thought of renewing our minds and talk about something else, rather the entire rest of the chapter gives very practical guidelines and what a renewed mind looks like and the change that results.

• A Renewed Mind Is Humble 12:3

Other people are just as valuable as you or I, and though you may be more talented than someone else in this area or that, others have their own talents that excel yours and mine in other areas, and all God-given talents are all equally needed (12:4-5).

• A Renewed Mind Realizes We Are Each Gifted: 12:6-8

Recently I heard someone say that for much of their life they had believed the lie that since they did not have a good upbringing or the best start in life that they were forever destined to have a “second-rate life”.  That from childhood on, everything that they would  experience in the future, from their home, to their marriage, career, relationships, etc…all would be second-rate.  Romans 12 is not a picture of a second-rate life, rather it is a picture of a life in which one is excelling in all the very important areas and yet it is a picture of the life that God wants every person to experience.  The truth is, we can all have first-rate lives.

• A Renewed Mind Strives to Be All It Can Be

One verse after another in this chapter emphasizes doing our best or excelling, and we will need a renewed mine to succeed in each of these areas:

 For example:

1. Love is to be genuine—the real deal: 12:9
2. We are to be wholly dedicated to what is good: 12:9
3. With evil there is to be no compromise: 12:9
4. Relationships with other believers are to be tight: 12:10
5. We are to be diligent people—no laggards: 12:11
6. Our spiritual life is to be fervent: 12:11

 

• “It Just Doesn’t Fit Anymore”

At times people will ask believers questions about how we are able to control our anger, lust, tendency to worry and so on.  Many people in the world remain absolutely convinced that seeking to renew one's mind is an impossibility. 

1. As Christians we don’t start with anger, worry or lust, rather we start with a mindset of putting God and others first and use that to battle destructive ways of thinking: 12:10 . What we find is that when anger, worry, lust or any sinful thought arises it simply doesn’t fit anymore with the direction our life is headed. 
2. When I am praying, thinking about my hope of heaven (12:12), helping out God’s people and opening up my home (12:13) to wonderful people, the thought of self-pity just doesn’t fit into that life-style.  When it arises it is very much out of place and is soon replaced with gratitude of all Christ has done in my life.
3. Sinful thoughts for all Christians do show up now and then, but with a renewed mind, they appear as they truly are: extremely dated.  It is very difficult to justify anger or any other sin when one is busy with the life described in this chapter. 

 

• “What Can I Do for Someone Else?”

What if every day you woke with the above question in your mind? The renewed mind and the life that follows has  great emphasis on “others”:

1. Service: 12:7
2. Teaching: 12:7
3. Exhorting: 12:8
4. Giving: 12:8
5. Leading: 12:8
6. Showing mercy: 12:8

What do all of the above have in common?  They are valuable and necessary things that we do for others.  The chapter continues with this emphasis on others:

1. “Be devoted to one another”: 12:10
2. “Give preference to one another”: 12:11
3. “Contributing to the needs of the saints”: 12:13
4. “Practicing hospitality”: 12:13
5. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep”: 12:15

In serving others, something delightfully unexpected happens: one’s life becomes far more interesting, exciting, fulfilling, and anything but boring.  Before I became a Christian I would often think, “What am I going to do today so I don’t end up bored?”  After I became a Christian—that thought rarely has an opportunity to even enter my mind.

Waiting for a Feeling?

Some people feel that unless they have the feeling first to do the right thing, such was not real or authentic change.  Yet, did you notice that this chapter does not even address the subject of feelings?  We are simply told to renew our minds. Many have noted that the person who starts to live unselfishly— though they may not feel like doing so, is in fact accomplishing something quite genuine and that they are not being a hypocrite.  Remember, the Bible warns us that feelings can be unreliable (Proverbs 14:12).  In addition, what God really wants is not some temporary feeling but long, lasting change.  Remember the parable that Jesus gave of the two sons?  One son said we was going to work—but did not.  The other son said he was not going to work—then changed his mind and went.  Jesus said it was the second son who did the will of God.  Remember Jesus in garden when His feelings wanted to avoid the pain and suffering that waited Him, yet He went and died for us. 

So stop waiting for a feeling to begin a change, and instead start, by the power Christ supplies, to change your life and you will be amazed at how your feelings follow. 

Mark Dunagan  |  mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ  |  503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net