Rewarding Faith:

             "More Word – Less World"

 

 

I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 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. For I say through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. Romans 12:1-3.

 

First of all this was written to believers and if you are a believer then you have a certain mindset. You must certainly agree with the basics of Christianity. Example: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Son as a sacrifice, accepting Him by faith, being born again into Gods family etc.

 

Now if you have a teachable spirit then you are on your way to spiritual growth. Here in verse three let’s read from the Amplified Bible, first of all he’s warning every believer not to be puffed up in his own mind. Not to think that we are something special in ourselves. But it says to rate our ability with sober judgement, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him. I believe at the moment of the new birth that God gives all of us a degree of faith. From that moment on it’s up to us to grow up and try to become as strong in faith as we can.

 

Here in Romans 12 God is giving us the formula to be able to get to the point spiritually where we can all know His perfect will for our lives. We need to instill within our being exactly what God is saying to us through His word. So I propose to you that in order to do this we simply need more word and less world.

 

And where do we start? By renewing our minds.

 

If you have studied the Bible concerning the triune man then you know that your mind is part of your soul. We are a spirit, we have a soul and we live in a body. We have all been created in the image of God, the only difference is some are weak and some are strong.

 

Our soul consists of our emotions, our intellect and our will; this is where most of the attacks from Satan and his followers occur. If you followed after Satan unknowingly for a number of years before you found Christ then he probably had a stronghold on your mind. This is exactly why the word says to train up a child in the way he should go and when he gets older he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6.  God wants every child to follow after Christ but we all know it does not happen.

 

As a child I remember saying my prayers at night, and as I grew older I remember praying about certain things, and if anyone had asked if I believed in God I probably would have said yes, but as I got older I followed after the flesh and became conformed to the world. I guess I thought I was normal, and for 29 years I went my own way.

 

Then God came along and used certain circumstances to bring me into His Kingdom, but it wouldn’t have worked if I had not been willing. I remember thinking after I was saved; Lord I wish I had done this a long time ago. When you decide in your heart that something is right, it cannot be taken away from you. Have you ever heard someone say I’ve got a willing mind? Well that’s what I had and for some reason that I can’t explain I have always been teachable. So I guess that is a good characteristic.

 

Notice in verse two the word transformed, this is a very interesting word. Webster’s doesn’t elaborate on this word but it does say this, change the shape or character of. If you look at this in the context of our scripture, this is exactly what God wants to do. He wants to change us from what we were into the image and likeness of His dear Son. 2 Corinthians 3:18.

 

And how exactly will this come about?

 

Look at Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth but you shall meditate on it day and night that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it, for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.

 

Did you know that Jesus of Nazareth was prosperous, dealt wisely and had good success? Did you know that Saul of Tarsus was an authority on the book of the law and after he got his mind renewed to Gods way of thinking he also had good success?

 

If we desire to follow in the footsteps of these great men then we need to do the one thing that brings success on the scene.

 

Look at Hebrews 5:12-14 – For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles (revelations) of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.

But solid food belongs to those who are of full age; that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

 

Obviously the writer is teaching about spiritual maturity. He is saying to these believers, what have you been doing with your time? By now you should be teachers but you still need someone to teach you? Do you not remember Joshua 1:8? Have you not been meditating on the word? No wonder you are defeated, sick, poor and overrun by the enemy. You are spiritual babes still feeding on milk and because of it you are unskilled in the word of righteousness.

 

What exactly does he mean by having your senses exercised to discern both good and evil?

 

It’s simple, a mature believer, who spends time reading and meditating on the word of God, is fine-tuned, he knows the difference between the voice of the Spirit and Satan’s deception. He is fully aware of sowing and reaping. He is not so easily snared by the wiles of the devil like he used to be. He may live in this world but the effects of this world do not have a hold on him any longer. Since he is not conformed to this world then God can use him in a more effective way.

 

I believe that many people with a strong desire to please God, step out into the world, ready to fight the good fight of faith before they are fully equipped to do so. Going into all the world sounds exciting but if you have no discernment in your heart there’s a good chance that you will end up in a defeated state and probably become useless to the kingdom of God.

 

There is a process by which an army prepares itself for battle and we need to be made aware of this. If you were called to go to war for your country, they wouldn’t just haul you off the street, put a gun in your hand and say go get ‘em boy. No, you would first be sent to a training facility where you would start from the bottom and work your way up. Or in other words a progression from milk to solid food.

 

Unlike the natural battle, our battle is a spiritual one. And I’m not saying that God cannot use a spiritual babe because He can, the thing that he’s not ready for is the front lines. The longer he stays in the word the more prepared he becomes and hopefully someday he will indeed be a frontliner. He may even start the Blessed Church of the Frontliners.

 

Back to Romans 12:1-3 – If you spend some time meditating on these scriptures you will see that God is dealing with the whole man. Beginning with the physical man, he tells us what to do with our bodies, keep yourselves from sins of the flesh.

 

James 1: 21 – says this, therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls, or deliver your soul from a lost state.

 

It is so necessary to shake off the effects of the world. If you were to stand at the edge of a pond that is completely polluted and stinks from a mile off, you would think twice before jumping in. Well that’s the way the world is only we don’t have a choice because we are born into it. Thank God he has made a way out of the worlds mess.

 

We are to receive the word just as a child receives instructions from a parent, which is exactly what is happening. Our Heavenly Father is attempting to prepare us for the spiritual life that we are called to walk. His word is called the word of life, which lifts us up and enables us to see ourselves as He sees us in Christ Jesus.

 

Look at Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

 

To be built up in the word is to have the sword of the spirit ready to react to the enemy’s attacks rather than responding in the natural like we are used to doing. Remember Jesus response to Satan when he came with natural temptations. He held up the shield of faith and repelled him with the living word.

 

When believers speak God’s word in faith knowing, then it sounds like God Himself going on the attack. Are we ready for the battle? Let’s go.

 

 

Written by: R W Nagle.