Romans 12:1-2 King James Translation:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Message Translation:
So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
New Century:
So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship.
Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.
Here are three displays of Romans 12:1-2, by offering two or three translations to this text, there is hope that your understanding will be opened when it comes to the need for transformation of the mind, for changed thinking.
Let's focus of transformation
... be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind... KJV
... you will be changed from the inside out... MSG
... be changed within by a new way of thinking ... NCV
To be transformed defines as:
- to change in composition or structure
- to change the outward form or appearance of
- to change in character or condition
- to cause (a cell) to undergo genetic transformation
Romans speaks of being transformed by the renewing of the mind. In other the mind must be changed, if the outward appearance, character or conditions are going to change.
Another thing I like about the definition of transformation is that it opens us up to the realization that the cells in the mind can be altered (changed). To help you understand this more fully, (concerning Romans 12:2) I would ask that you read Dr. Carolyn Leaf's books: The brain and The Gift in You. But Let me at this time go to the transformation of the mind that brings change to our character and outward conditions.
The Greek origin of the word transformed is:
metamorfow metamorphoo, met-am-or-fo'-o
Metamorphoo meaning to:
to transform (literally or figuratively, "metamorphose"):--change, transfigure, transform
It carries the idea is the life cycle of the butterfly. The little worm that changes both position and form.
The Caterpillar goes through several changes, however the major change that people recall is the fact that they go from a lowly worm to a beautiful butterfly; from crawling to flying; from earth to sky.
Another Metamorphosis is the Toad frog, and his life metamorphosis has been stretched to fairy tales of toads turning Prince. But Metamorphosis is not limited to butterflies or toad frogs. We humans too, can experience a type of Metmorphosis called transformation. We can be transformed by the changing (renewing) of our minds.
How men think plays a tremendous role in his mental and physical well being, and on how he lives his life in every other arena. The reason for this is that the laws of cause and effect work in all realms--the spiritual, the mental, and the physical. No effect is without its cause; no cause is without its effect.
When men allow their heart or mind to be dominated by negative, destructive emotions
such as Hate, Anger, Jealousy, Envy, Resentment, Fear, Guilt, Condemnation, Frustration and Failure. Their lives soon take a downhill spiral.
Even Doctors tell us that these negative mindsets and emotions can cause asthma, ulcers, high blood pressure, colitis, arthritis, depression and other diseases. When a person is sick in mind and or body it effects his fiances, life vigor and happiness.
When a person is living in the realm of the negative, they need a transformation! They need to be changed from the lowly worm thinking, they need a transformation.
The Bible says in Proverbs 3:27, "as a man thinks in his heart, so is he." And you will eventually become what you think. You can't think one thing and become something else.
If you allow yourself to think negative thoughts, then you will become a negative person, producing negative results in life.
- You cannot think defeat and expect to succeed.
- You can't think poverty, and expect to prosper.
- You can't think the worst of situations or people, and get the best.
You've got to be careful about what you think; be careful about what you meditate on, about what you allow to go into your mind.
Now thoughts will come, but I heard a dear man once say: "The birds may fly over your head but you don't have to allow them to nest in your hair." In other words, thoughts my come across your mind, but you must learn how to take them captive and bring them into subjection to the Word of God that is powerful and about to divide between what is Soul and Spirit. You need to cast down vain (negative, useless) imaginations and replace them with powerful imaginations that will grow and breed greatness into the earth.
The Bible tells us what we should dwell on in Philippians 4:8. It's to "think on things that are pure and honest and of a good report." Things that build you up, not tear down.
Think on all the great things God has done for you and has enabled you to do and be. In other words, you need to dwell on the positive and not the negative.
Quit thinking about what's wrong with you and start thinking about what's right with you. Quit thinking about how big your problems are and start thinking about, "how you can do all things through Christ which strengthens you." Think about how nothing is impossible to those who believe.
- Be a thankful person.
- Be an encourager.
- Be a blessing to others.
- Be a focused person and disciplined person.
- Think positive.
Be transformed.
Leave the low thinking arena for the higher life! Rise up to new heights, to new realms of freedom!
