This article is an adaptation of a sermon I gave to my Church, via our live stream service, on Sunday, 26th April, 2020.
Main Scriptural Passages
“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
St. John 1:12-13 (KJV)
“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.”
Romans 12:2 (KJV)
The Times We are Living in
The times in which we are living can prove to be rough and almost too much to handle. The interesting thing, though, is that though they may seem to be too much to handle, they are actually going to get worse. Biblical prophecy is unfolding right before our very eyes. We will hear it declared in many sermons; the wars, the rumours of wars, the pestilences, etc. We find ourselves living in such days and realise that we cannot approach them as we approached the days of and situations in the past. We cannot live the way we lived before. Times such as these in which we live cannot see Believers and Non-believers living the way they lived before. There must be renewal in preparation for rough times; renewal in the heart, the mind, and the life.
St. John 1:12-13 and Romans 12:2 are two popular scripture verses that hold key messages for us in times such as these. They show God’s plan that was put in place to redeem us, to help us, and to give us a new identity. It is a work that can never be done by the efforts of mere mortal men. It is a work of transformation, where the mind, the heart and the life becomes more like unto Jesus Christ.
Such renewed lives approach life in a different way. They do not observe society through the lens of politics, panic, perversion or personal gain. They observe and approach life through the lens of the Kingdom of God. Such renewed lives are needed, especially in these rough times. Let’s look at three (3) reasons why.
#1 Renewed Lives have a New Identity
St. John 1:12 begins by saying “But as many as received Him”. This shows that we were offered something by Christ. St. John 1, earlier in the chapter, describes Jesus Christ as having “Life” in Himself, and that “Life” became “the Light of men”. Such Life and Light is what is offered to us for reception. It also was not just any ordinary life or, rather, our understanding of “regular” life. The Greek Word used to describe “Life” in reference to Christ is the word “Zoe” which means “eternal, uncreated life”.
The Life that was in Christ Jesus that became Light to us was eternal life. Such life was offered to mankind. However, an offering does not mean that we will receive it. It shows, however, that it is a choice to receive eternal life from Christ Jesus. Once we receive Him, however, as shown in St. John 1:12 we are given “power” to become the sons of God. This shows the formation of a new identity which springs forth from such a life.
John says that we are given “power” to become the sons of God. This power is by the Holy Spirit and is shown in Romans 8:14, which says:
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God”
Romans 8:14 (KJV)
Since we are given power and are led by the Spirit of God, it shows that a renewed people must be dependent on God at all times. Our new identity is not just because of Him, our new identity is in Him. A new identity is “sonship“ in God. It is not just being loved by Him, it is being begotten of and belonging to Him. Being “in” Him means that we are dwelling in Him. Dwelling in Him means we have safety, protection, and blessing, but must be obedient to His rules of residency.
Our new identity also shows us as being in a state of being “born again”. This rebirth, as St. John 1:13 tells us, is not by flesh nor by the will of man, but by the will and power of God. People who have an identity in Christ Jesus are able to shine their lights, as Christ shined when He entered this world. Even when the world does not receive us, we must shine, for the Life that was given to us and that lives in us is Light.
#2 Renewed Lives have a New Vision and Outlook
Romans 12:2 starts off by telling us not to be “conformed” to this world, but to “be transformed by the renewing of our minds”. This entails not just transformation but it also entails having a new vision and outlook on two main things:
- Your own state of being
- The very state of the society around you
In times such as these, we must be discerning of where we are and where society is. Society is in need of God-fearing men and women who can shine their light and bring hope, help and healing to the sickness we see around us. When I say sickness I don’t just mean the physical diseases. I mean the sin, the societal issues, the rape, the violence, the molestation, the corruption, the schemes, the confusion, etc. It is not for us to be conformed to this world system. Being conformed to such a world system would mean entangling ourselves in the traps of the things mentioned before. Instead, we are asked to be “transformed” by our minds being renewed.
A renewed mind has a new vision, a new outlook, and a new perspective on life. But it’s not just “a new” vision, outlook or perspective; it’s a Kingdom vision, outlook and perspective. We must see ourselves and our society in the light of God’s vision, outlook and perspective. Such a transformed mind sees beyond the murky and looks at the clarity of the true state. It goes beyond self-righteousness and sees the righteous filthy rags. It goes beyond the sweet talk and sees the bitterness.
People with transformed minds can impact society in a Holy Spirit-directed way. In this way, problems can be dealt with using pin-point accuracy that would bring help and healing. Also, People with renewed minds are prepared for effective action for the Kingdom and also for the appearing and revelation of Jesus Christ. This can be seen in 1 Peter 1:13, which says:
“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 1:13 (ESV)
#3 Renewed Lives have a New Response
Romans 12:2 then finishes off by telling us “that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God”. This shows that a people with an identity in Christ and a renewed mind can properly learn, know, and prove God’s will.
Today, people are still struggling to know the will of God. They debate whether He exists or not since we don’t hear Him. It seems like He doesn’t speak or is silent, so it has to be that He doesn’t exist, right? Or maybe, we believers are just crazy in our heads, hearing God speak to us, etc. God is speaking and He desires all to hear Him and to know His will. We can only know His will if we are in Him, having the power to become sons of God, and having renewed minds. Knowing His will helps us to have a proper response to the situations around us.
“Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others”
Philippians 2:1-4 (KJV)
Having the right response from a renewed people in times like these is critical. It must be under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, with love, compassion, unity, and in one purpose; for the glory of God.
Renewed Lives are Needed
We are called to be “Salt” and “Light” for a reason. Salt adds necessary flavor and Light gives the needed illumination to guide, flavor and preserve. Renewed lives are transformed into the image of Christ Jesus Himself and can, under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, impact the world in the same way He did and still does. The world needs people who have experienced newness in Christ; People who are walking in everlasting and abundant life. If we refuse to be or become too complacent to become renewed, we risk contributing only what is temporal to a world that needs the permanent. We can risk contributing death more than life, both to ourselves and to others. Therefore, lets be Christ-like in everything we do, say and think. After all, the solution to rough times are the people with renewed lives.
Beacon Of Flavor 