A big “thanks” to Aaron, whose recent comment on my post entitled, “Christian Maturity Means Suffering For Christ,” raised an issue vital to our understanding of what it means to be a mature follower of Jesus.
Here’s the comment -
“What are worldly ways and worldly thinking? I’d love to read an article that really defines this concept in detail. Is it just materialism? Is it more? I’ve heard those terms in so many various situations that it’s losing its meaning to me.”
There may be someone out there who can answer Aaron in a single article. Not me. However, his comment is worth a response. And, for me, that means several posts dealing with what in many ways is the acid test of Christian maturity -
Is my thinking (world-view, self-awareness) and the lifestyle it produces patterned after the teachings of Jesus about God’s kingdom, or is it patterned after the ways of this world?
The teachings of Jesus are best summed up in the word “repent.”
After his wilderness temptations, Jesus began his public ministry, as described in Matthew 4:17, saying, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” The word “repent” is the Greek word “metanoia.” It literally means “to change one’s mind.” In other words, to think differently. To learn to see my life and world from a whole new perspective, God’s perspective.
Paul champions this repentance in his letters. (I’ll be referring to much of what he says in upcoming posts.) “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” is another way of saying “repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (See Colossians 3:2)
But in today’s post, I want to look at what, for many, is one of the most well-known verses in the New Testament:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”
For me, these words of Paul in Romans 12:2 are a concise description of the process of Christian maturity. Christian maturity involves transformation. It is the process of moving from thinking and living after the pattern of this world to learning how to “test” (a vital word which we will return to) and “approve” God’s will. God’s will in this verse is often understood to be God’s will for a person individually. And while I believe God does indeed guide us in very personal ways, I think it’s important to understand that is NOT what Paul has in mind.
Romans 12:2 cannot be understood apart from Romans 12:1, where Paul is describing what he refers to as “true and proper worship.” This is important, so stay with me.
True and proper worship, says Paul, is experienced as we offer our whole selves to God. When we offer ourselves to God in this total abandonment of self, we become what the apostle describes as “living sacrifices.” That is, we let go of the unholy trinity of “me, myself, and I” that governs our lives apart from Christ, and we devote ourselves completely to God’s ways and God’s will.
But the question remains - “Can I really know God’s ways and God’s will?”
The answer is “yes.” And in Romans 12:2, the apostle describes the process leading to what he describes as God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will for followers of Jesus.
That process involves a transformation that takes place through the renewing of our minds. How are our minds renewed? There are many important things we could point to, but I think it’s safe to say that renewed minds are the result of an open-hearted, humble, and passionate seeking. “When you seek me with your whole heart, you will find me,” says God through the prophet Jeremiah. This is not a one-time event but a lifelong journey the Bible calls discipleship.
Vital to our understanding of Romans 12:2 is the emphasis placed on testing and approving God’s will. (Again, God’s will needs to be understood generally in this verse and is linked to “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near,” and “Set your mind on things above, not earthly things.”)
The word translated “test” is an active verb, an action verb. It implies diligent, passionate seeking. The word was used to describe removing impurities from precious metal. Another biblical metaphor would be removing the leaven from the lump.
Like I said, answering Aaron’s question in one post is beyond my skill set. I do hope, however, that this post together with those to follow will help Aaron and others (including me!) to engage in the lifelong process of distinguishing between the thinking and ways of God’s kingdom and those of this world.
I close with these words from Galatians 1:4, where we read that Jesus came to “rescue us from the present evil age.” This “rescue” will culminate in a final future event, but it should be a present reality in the lives of all believers.
In Christ,
Dan
Check out my podcasts from Church on the Edge and my books on Kindle.
Thanks for sharing. I’m looking forward to hearing more thoughts on this subject.
It has a lot to do with my priorities. Am I focused in money, promotions, titles..entertainment or am I focused on my relationships with Christ, my wife, children, serving in the church, reaching out to others I know are in need. It's amazing how different my life is when I'm pursuing the latter rather than the former.