ROMANS 12:1-2 1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2And 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. NKJV

GLORIFY GOD BY BEING HOLY AND ACCEPTABLE

WHAT IS IT TO BE HOLY AND ACCEPTABLE ? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE TRANSFORMED AND CONFORMED

FROM THE GREEK WORD HERE WE GET THE ENGLISH WORD METAMORPHOSIS

THE SAME WORD IS USED IN MATTHEW 17:1-2 TO DESCRIBE JESUS TRANSFIGURATION “TO UNDERGO A COMPLETE CHANGE WHICH, UNDER THE POWER OF GOD, WILL FIND EXPRESSION IN CHARACTER AND CONDUCT; MORPHE LAYS STRESS ON THE INWARD CHANGE, VINE, W.E. ; ET.AL PAUL USES THE PASSIVE VOICE INDICATING THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE ALLOW TO BE DONE TO US. IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE DO BY OUR OWN POWER WE SUBMIT TO GOD’S POWER AND ARE CHANGED INTO ANOTHER FORM

WE ARE A NEW CREATION 2 COR. 5:17 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. NKJV

MAKE ME A SERVANT MAKE ME A SERVANT JUST LIKE YOUR SON FOR HE WAS A SERVANT PLEASE MAKE ME ONE DO WHAT YOU MUST DO TO MAKE ME A SERVANT MAKE ME LIKE YOU

MAKE ME A SERVANT 1 CORINTHIANS 10:30 TAKE ALL MY PRIDE FOR I WOULD BE LOWLY HUMBLE INSIDE GIVING TO OTHERS WITH ALL I DO IN LOVE FOR MY BROTHER MAKE ME LIKE YOU MAKE ME A SERVANT FILLED BY YOUR MIGHT AND MAY ALL MY LABORS SHINE WITH YOUR LIGHT SHOW ME YOUR FOOTSTEPS AND WHAT I SHOULD DO FOR NOW AND FOREVER MAKE ME LIKE YOU 1 CORINTHIANS 10:30 1Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God

PERHAPS THEY LACK THE MOTIVATION THE GOAL OF BEING A CHRISTIAN IS TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO THE LIKENESS OF CHRIST IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE IN THIS LIFE GOD HAS MADE ALL THINGS NECESSARY FOR THIS TRANSFORMATION AVAILABLE YET SADLY THERE ARE MANY CATERPILLARS IN THE CHURCH AND WORSE YET SOME ARE GONE DORMANT IN THE COCOON WHY? PERHAPS THEY LACK THE MOTIVATION

MOTIVATION FOR TRANSFORMATION PAUL APPEALED TO THE MERCIES OF GOD WHAT MERCIES? Freedom from sin (Rom. 6:18-18) Gift of eternal life (Rom. 6:23) Peace with God (5:1) Access to the grace of God (Rom. 5:9) Saved from the wrath of God (Rom.5:9

SHOULD NOT GOD’S MERCY MOVE US TO REPENT AND SEEK TRANSFORMATION Romans 2:4-9 4Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: 7eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 9tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;

THE CHRISTIAN'S TRANSFORMATION IS THE RESULT OF A "RENEWED" MIND There must be a radical inward change in a person in order to live godly in this world. (The idea of a personal God is almost considered to be an absurd idea or an old superstition in this world) The "mind" = intellect + emotions + will. Each of these must be placed under the influence of the truth. The truth of the Word must color & modify every fiber and moment of our being

"SPIRITUAL-MINDEDNESS" (AS OPPOSED TO "CARNAL-MINDEDNESS") IS OUR GOAL "SPIRITUAL-MINDEDNESS" (AS OPPOSED TO "CARNAL-MINDEDNESS") IS OUR GOAL. ROM. 8:5-11 5For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. NKJV

Eph 4:17-24 17This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20But you have not so learned Christ, 21if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. NKJV

THE CHRISTIAN NO LONGER VIEWS THINGS AND APPRAISES THEM "ACCORDING TO THE FLESH" 2 COR. 5:16-17 16Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. NKJV

. 1Then Job answered the Lord and said: Theorizing alone will not give one the answers he needs concerning God's will. The person with the renewed mind learns much by actual experience in the living out of God's truth Job. 42:1-6 . 1Then Job answered the Lord and said: 2     “I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. 3     You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4     Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ 5     “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. 6     Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.”NKJV

THE CHRISTIAN'S LIFE IS A DEMONSTRATION OF THE TRUTH, PRACTICALITY, AND EXCELLENCE OF GOD'S WILL -- HIS LIFE IS EXHIBIT A THAT GOD'S TRUTH "WORKS."

The renewal of the Christian's mind is a continual, daily process. Transformations are difficult, and sometimes painful. The more the world is ingrained in us, the more difficult the change will be. But to stay in our "comfort zone" is to be lost. What we are after, essentially, is the "mind of Christ." Cf. Phil. 2:5.

ROMANS 15:5-6 5Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

WHAT HINDERS MANY CHRISTIANS REGENERATION WITH GOD’S HELP SHOULD NOT BE DIFFICULT LIKELY IS THAT THEY ARE NOT FEEDING THE MIND THE RIGHT FOOD STARVATION – NOT ENOUGH OR IRREGULAR BIBLE STUDY JUNK FOOD TRASHY MOVIES AND NOVELS ETC.

TOO MUCH TIME IS SPENT ON THE ENTERTAINMENT OF THE DEVIL THEY BECOME WHAT THEY THINK AND MUCH OF WHAT THEY THINK IS NOT BECOMING (PROVERBS 23:7) TOO MUCH TIME IS SPENT ON THE ENTERTAINMENT OF THE DEVIL RATHER READING AND MEDITATING ON THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT

DO YOU WANT TO TRANSFORM TO LIVE A GLORY TO GOD 1 CORINTHIANS 6:20 20For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

YOU CAN BE A GLORY TO GOD FIRST BY BECOMING A CHRISTIAN BELIEVE REPENT CONFESS HIS NAME AND BE BAPTIZED RISE TO WALK A NEWNESS OF LIFE AND BEGIN YOUR TRANSFORMATION

WILL YOU COME