CHANGED LIVES

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2 NKJV).

Here we have much needed counsel for our day. Our verse speaks of conforming and transforming. We are not to be conformed, but we are to be transformed.

Conforming – “Be not conformed to this world.” The warning here is that we are not to conform to the world in moral standards, in matters of right and wrong, in moral behavior. The present state of things is very opposed to genuine Christianity. Pride, luxury, vanity, extravagance, and riotous living are the order of the day. To be conformed to the world is to seek worldly good, to follow worldly ends, guided by the wisdom of the world. However, to serve the Lord believers must think like the Lord not like the world.

Transforming – “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” To understand this command better, we want to note the following: First, the meaning - transforming means to change. It is the same word used to describe the transfiguration of our Lord. The change here is moral. Second, the manner - to be changed or transformed morally, we must get into the Word of God. This transforming of the mind is not intellectualism and higher education. It is the changing of moral attitudes by the infusion of the Word into our minds. It is what the Psalmist David was speaking about when he said, “Through Your precepts I get understanding” (Psalm 119:104). Third, the motive - why do we want to transform our minds? That we may “prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” The motive for obeying the Word is to be able to know with certainty what is right and acceptable in God’s sight and what is the perfect will of God for our lives. This is knowledge we need to know the most.

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Bible Reading 3)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“All change comes from deepening your understanding of the salvation of Christ and living out the changes that understanding creates in your heart!”

Timothy Keller (1950 - 2023)

American Christian Pastor, Author, Theologian, and Christian Apologist

Word Study

Field

In 1 Cor. 3:9 we read, “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building” (NKJV).

“Field” is the Greek word geṓrgion (γεώργιον = gheh-ore'-ghee-on). This word occurs only here in the New Testament. It properly denotes a tilled or cultivated field. The word is used here metaphorically of the believers at Corinth corporately. And so, the idea here is that the church at Corinth was the field on which God had bestowed the labor of tillage, or culture. A field does not exist to lie unused; it exists to bear a harvest. The church is to bear fruit. Believers are God’s crop that He is nurturing to help us grow and become fruitful.

Did You Know…

According to Acts 12:21-23, when people called King Herod a god and he did not deny it, an angel struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died “because he did not give glory to God.”

Bible Quiz

How many barrels of water did Elijah pour onto the sacrificed bull before praying to God to light the wood on fire?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz

The Israelites were permitted to eat meat, but which part of the animal were they not permitted to eat? The blood (Deut. 12:16).

Prophecies Fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ

David’s House Established Forever (2 Sam. 7:16) – Prefigures the Lord Jesus Christ as ruling and reigning forever (cf. Luke 3:31; Rev. 22:16)

"And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever” (2 Sam. 7:16 NJKV).

In context, the house to be built for David would be a royal house, a dynasty of kings. It would originate with him but would never end. Here we have God’s remarkable promise that David’s throne and kingdom would be permanent. It would be a realm over which the Son of David, the Messiah would reign forever (cf. 2 Sam. 23:5). David’s earthly dynasty ended four centuries after his reign, but the Lord Jesus Christ, a direct descendant of David will reign for eternity. Indeed, the right to rule on the throne will always belong to David’s seed.

Did You Know – Christian History

Because of a baby, the church changed on January 21, 1525, but no one realized it at first.

The Protestant reformation in Europe had furthered the recovery of faithful Bible interpretation. When reformers gained control of governments, they replaced the Roman church with reformed churches. For the most part, all people including newborn babies were expected to belong to the newly reformed churches, just as they had belonged to the old. Newborn babies were baptized into the reformed church and became members simply by being born in their community.

Reformation also came to Zurich under Ulrich Zwingli’s Bible-centered teaching. The Zurich City Council and most Christians supported his reforms. However, a group of Zwingli supporters challenged the idea of infant baptism. These Christians believed that the only true baptism comes when one is old enough to understand its meaning. Among them were Georg Blaurock, Conrad Grebel, and Felix Manz. When Grebel’s wife had a baby, the couple decided not to baptize their child although Zurich authorities said they must. Other families followed the Grebels in not baptizing their babies.

On January 17, 1525, the City Council held a public debate on the issue. The people’s representatives listened to both sides and voted for baby baptism. The Council ordered that the “radicals” must no longer meet together or teach their opinions to others and that all families must baptize their children within eight days or leave Zurich. With the deadline running out, the Anabaptists gathered at Felix Manz’ house on the night of January 21, 1525, to decide their course of action. The general consensus was that governments had no right to dictate religious beliefs. They talked and worried and prayed. When they rose from their knees, all who were willing were baptized in the apostolic manner, i.e., upon confession of faith. By that action, the Anabaptist movement was born. “Anabaptist” means “rebaptizer.” It was a name given to them in mockery by their enemies. They then obeyed the Zurich council and moved out of town, started their own church, completely free of state ties, and preached to others. To Zurich this seemed like rebellion and they jailed the offenders. When released, the men preached again.

In the course of time, Manz, and many other Anabaptist leaders were executed. The bold stand of those men changed the entire church, but only after oceans of blood had been poured out, trying to control other people’s faith. Mennonites, Hutterites, and Amish are the direct offspring of the Anabaptist movement. Baptists and many other groups baptize a person only if he or she is old enough to understand the meaning of the act and make a confession of Christ. Thanks to their stand, most Protestant churches now act on the principle of separation of church and state, although around the world governments still try to impose their stamp on the church.

A Little Humor

Big Bang Theory? You’ve got to be kidding! – God

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“In the dark? Follow the Son!”