BEING A BELIEVER EVERYDAY
Rom 12:2; Selected Scriptures
By
D.Z. Cofield, Th. M., D. Min.
May 23, 2021
Scripture Reading:
Titus 2:11-14 (ESV) – For the grace of God has appeared, bringing
salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and
worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives
in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of
the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave
himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for
himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good
works.
Ephesians 1:3 (ESV) – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly places,
2 Peter 1:3 (ESV) – His divine power has granted to us all things
that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who
called us to his own glory and excellence,
Matthew 6:33 (ESV) – But seek first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
1. You need to realize the WORLD is constantly trying to CONFORM you to its IMAGE.
Romans 12:2 (ESV) – Do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may
discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and
perfect.
Romans 12:2 (MSG) – 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.
Romans 12:2 (Phillips NT) – Don’t let the world around you
squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds
from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God
for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal
of true maturity.
Conformed –
World –
Isaiah 24:4 (NKJV) – The earth mourns and fades away, The world
languishes and fades away; The haughty people of the earth languish.
James 4:4 (NLT2) – You adulterers! Don’t you realize that
friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it
again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an
enemy of God.
1 John 2:15-17 (NLT2) – Do not love this world nor the things it
offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of
the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical
pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our
achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but
are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with
everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases
God will live forever.
2. You must CONTINUALLY give God your MIND.
Romans 12:2 (ESV) – Do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you
may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable
and perfect.
Romans 12:2 (MSG) – 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.
Romans 12:2 (Phillips NT) – Don’t let the world around you
squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds
from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God
for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal
of true maturity.
Transformed –
Renewing –
Mind –
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (ESV) – And even if our gospel is veiled, it is
veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this
world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from
seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the
image of God.
Mark 12:30 (ESV) – And you shall love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all
your strength.
Romans 8:5-8 (ESV) – For those who live according to the flesh
set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live
according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on
the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is
hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.
8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Ephesians 4:23 (NLT2) – Instead, let the Spirit renew your
thoughts and attitudes.
1 John 2:17 (ESV) – And the world is passing away along with its
desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
L.I.F.E. Group Questions
1. What is a material that easily conforms to a mold or container?
2. What does it mean for a person to be conformed to this world?
3. To what worldly choices, life-styles or values do people typically
conform?
4. What are some of the thoughts and behaviors you display when
you have been conformed to the world?
5. Name a time when your reaction to a circumstance or situation
revealed, in that moment, that you were conformed to this world.
Explain
6. What does it mean to be transformed by the renewing of your
mind?
7. What makes it hard to renew your mind? In other words, what
are some things you have to constantly battle with in your mind to
keep your mind renewed and in a good place?
8. What’s the relationship between renewing your mind and
changing how you think? Explain
9. What’s the relationship between renewing your mind and
changing how you behave? Explain
10. How important is it to know that the fight to be transformed by
the renewing of your mind is an ongoing struggle?
11. What are some hurts, habits and hang ups that help conform
you to the world’s pattern of thinking and living?
12. What are three things you can do this week to purposely renew
your mind?