Wilderness Wanderings

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him… While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:55-60)

Stephen seems to be in an entirely different world than his attackers (if you missed the context for why he was being attacked: see June 16's post). Stephen here is full of the Spirit, eyes wide open seeing a vision of God, praying, forgiving. This is in stark contrast with his attackers who had made themselves deaf: rushing, yelling, dragging, stoning. At the crux (and yes, for Christians—I quite literally do mean the cross)—at the crux of this clash between kingdoms, the contrast between the way of Christ and the way of the world is fully revealed.

The way of this world is revealed to be a way of sin and death. A way that shuts up our ears and our eyes so that we cannot see or hear God. A way of rush and noise and hot anger. A way that forces, drags away, and makes captives. A way that ultimately kills.

But the way of Christ is a different way—His is a way of life. He opens our eyes and ears and invites us to keep them open. He restores, heals, and sets captives free. He is the one who says come away with me and get rest for your souls. The one who says: "be still and know that I am God." He is the one who promises life in abundance and to whom we entrust ourselves for life everlasting.

Stephen had the eyes to see Jesus in the throne room of heaven, even as he faced the moment of his death. He had peace, humility, and love as he sought—not vengeance—but forgiveness from God for his enemies. The picture Luke paints of Stephen is that of a person molded by the Spirit into the likeness of Christ through the humble, life-giving ways of Christ. That is, the Christ who also humbly submitted to death, giving up His spirit to the Father while praying: "forgive them."

I don't know about you, but I have been feeling tugged and tuckered out by the ways of death. The rush and noise of new information and regulations coming at us these last weeks. The weight of trying to figure out racism and my part in it. The near-constant worry for those that we can't meet with in person. The sadness of seeing what seems to be so much death and hardship for so many in our community and beyond.

It's more than I can bear.

And so in times like these when I reach the limits of what I can do, or feel, or worry about: the way, the voice, and the vision of Jesus tell me that it's not time to cover my ears and start yelling. It's time instead to hear His call to open my eyes and to look and see Him still there on the throne. To open my ears and hear Him call out: come away with me and find rest and freedom for your heart and soul.

Only then, refreshed by Jesus' life in me can I begin to join Him in facing the death in me and in our world with eyes and ears wide open once again.

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. (Romans 12:4-7).

In the first congregation I served, there was an elderly saint who wore the same broach each Sunday. It wasn't flashy or made from expensive stones. It was simply the word, "Attitude." I asked her about it once. Her reply was simple too, "Its all about attitude." When it comes to spiritual gifts, I think the apostle would agree.

Its worth noting that we will not find the phrase, spiritual gifts, in the Bible. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul does use the phrase, 'the gifts of the Spirit.' The phrase is only used there. Here in Romans 12 and in 1 Peter 4 they are gifts of grace. They are part of the redeeming grace that God gives us through faith in Jesus.

Over the past several decades, the emphasis in the North American church has been on discerning our spiritual gifts. A quick Google search indicates that there are dozens of different tests or assessments one can take to determine one's gifts. I can't help but wonder if the Apostle Paul is shaking his head in dismay muttering, 'You're missing the point.' The Biblical emphasis is not on what gift(s) we have, but 'our attitude' in using them. That is not to say that taking a spiritual gifts assessment or course can't be beneficial. But if we don't get to the question of attitude, we will miss the boat.

In the New Testament, there are at least 4 places where these gifts are mentioned and listed (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4 and 1 Peter 4). Each appears to be no more than a random sampling. But there are two things that are consistent through out, first, these gifts come from God, and second, he gives them for the building of his church. Certainly, they are given to individuals, but they are given for the sake of the church.

Thus, in this area of spiritual gifts, we can harm the church is two ways. First, we can simply neglect to use these gifts. Secondly, we can use them badly. Remember where this paragraph started, 'do not think more highly of yourself then you ought, but with sober judgement.' In Corinthians, the spiritual gifts led to arrogance and one up-man-ship. Even further back, the chapter began with 'Therefore, in view of God's mercy…" These gifts of grace are part of God's mercy to us, his way of providing for his new community, the church. God wants his church to flourish. The question is, Do we? Do we view our gifting as God's way for the church to fulfill its purpose?

Paul concentrates on the spirit in which the gifts are exercised. His overriding concern is that we utilize the full grace of God in our corporate life. To do this, we must overcome all attitudinal problems. We must behave in a manner that befits the renewed mind.

For many of us, this time of being scattered, in the wilderness, has been a time of stepping back from church life. Sabbath is about renewal. As part of that, it is important to do an attitude tune-up. Here are some tune-up questions: What is your attitude towards the church? Have you distanced yourself from it? Have you been hurt by the church? Is it time to forgive and seek reconciliation? How does your attitude need to change so you can help the church flourish?

"However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?'" (From the speech of Stephen to the Sanhedrin, Acts 7:48-50; quoting Isaiah 66:1-2).

Here again, we find ourselves in a setting marked by the conflict of kingdoms. Opposition arose against Stephen, one of the newly named Deacons of the church, because of the deeds he performed and the words he spoke. So Stephen was seized and brought before the Sanhedrin, having been accused of always "speaking against [the] holy place [of Jerusalem and its temple] and against the law."

In a lengthy speech that spans chapter 7, Stephen addresses these charges, showing how the message of Jesus lies in continuity with Abraham the promise-receiver, Moses the law-receiver, and the Creator God who never did live in a house made by human hands.

The leaders stoned Stephen for his message. Because even though the Gospel of Jesus Stephen preached was in continuity with the faith of Israel, Israel had begun to attach its faith more to the law and the place than to the God who created them both.

We do the same. We also attach our faith to our place and traditions. It happens quite naturally over time. Our worship space is a place of refuge and strength, like our God: made visible in the strong wooden columns and sturdy brick façade, along with the unchanging symbols of Alpha & Omega over one door, the Trinity triangle and Cross of the CRC logo over the other. It is a place where we come "Together, In Faith" as the community of God's people. It is a place where we gather around the Word (pulpit), mark milestones like baptism, where we are fed at the table, where we pray for those who don't know Jesus (candle on the organ). Our place not only facilitates our worship, it becomes a tangible part of our worship and the container for the memories of our journey with God and one another through immigration, tragedy, celebrations, and the mundane rhythms of our weeks and years.

So we get attached to that place and space, its symbols, its memories, its people, and the worship of the God who we met there. And we miss it. Which isn't strange. Indeed, it is worthy of lament, especially the circumstances under which we were forced to leave our place.

But having left, we also need to hear Stephen as he quotes the word of God through Isaiah to us: "The Most High does not live in houses made by human hands." He has met us in this house, sure, but He is far bigger than this particular house of worship. He is the Creator of Heaven and Earth—the one who claims sovereignty over all the places and spaces of our lives, including our home places or wherever else we find ourselves scattered to these days. And in just those places, our Sovereign Lord Jesus continues to meet us in our worship and the Spirit continues to comfort and equip us for our living.

God does not need a building to have a church. His people are His church. Still.

This is the time to be training our eyes anew to see our Sovereign God on the move. To hear His voice out in the more wild places of our wilderness wanderings. Because our faith is never to be attached to a building or place, but rather to our Immanuel, the God who is with us.

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us (Romans 12:4-6a).

What does it mean to be part of a church? Many of us are currently watching worship services online or on TV. Let's be clear, that does not make us part of a church. Even before COVID, some people's only contact with the church was regular worship attendance. Did that make them part of a church? Not necessarily. What does it mean to be part of the church? There are many ways to answer that question. Our text offers two.

Before we discuss those, let's remember that when the New Testament uses the word church it did not have in mind the formal structures we know today. Church referred to the people who followed Jesus Christ. They had no structure or history; they were simply the people in the Roman Empire who believed that this Jesus was Lord and God. In a place like Romans 12, the apostle Paul begins to lay out what belonging to this group means. So, what did or does it mean to be part of the church?

First, as we have seen, the flow of Romans 12 implies that I cannot fully "renew my mind" without the active help of other believers. I cannot understand what the Bible teaches apart from dialog with others who are reading that same Bible. I cannot live the life of a disciple of Christ apart from the nurturing context of a community of believers who encourage me, pray for me, and set an example for me. I cannot discern the blind spots in my obedience to Christ without other believers to point them out to me.

Here is where the attitude of arrogance that Paul rebukes in verse 3 can get in the way. We think of ourselves "more highly than we ought" and so conclude that we do not need the help of others. To go back to our question, "What does it mean to be part of a church?" Our passage tells us that we need the input of other Christians. To be part of a church means to receive help in Christian thinking and living from others. I need the church, the body of Christ.

Second, we must participate in the church to help others grow. Whatever gift we have been given, we are under obligation to our Lord to use it to serve his people. Other Christians need what each of us has to offer. As the human body is at a disadvantage without a foot, or an eye, or a kidney, so the church is harmed when the full array of gifts is not being exercised within it. Notice how strongly Paul puts this, "according to the grace given to each of us." If we disassociate from the church, we are hindering the flow of God's grace. Remember, we are God's sponges of mercy, first to the church and then beyond.

This is also why we need to think of ourselves with sober judgement. We should not consider our personal resources as personal possessions. They are gifts of God to be used for his glory. All of us who follow Jesus receive gifts to be used for the upbuilding of Christ's church. We each have gifts of grace to offer each other.

So, putting these two together: I need the church and the church needs me!

How do we do this when there are restrictions to us meeting together? For starters, we can check up on church members who live close by or those who we usually sit next too in the sanctuary. We can pray and give financially. We can assist an agency that helps the disenfranchised. Take some time to discuss this with other Christians.

Finally, as permission is given to open up church buildings, we need to consider the wellbeing of fellow worshippers. How do we balance the need to meet together with the health risks of such meetings? So, pray for church leaders as they must make these decisions and be willing to follow their directives.

The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem... They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: "By what power or what name did you do this?" Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is "'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.' Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:5, 7-12)

Just the day before, Peter and John had brought a taste of the kingdom to a man born with challenges that left him unable to walk. It had become a spectacle that drew a crowd. It also drew the ire of the religious leaders.

Peter and John were seized and put in jail, then put on trial before the powerful in Jerusalem. The question put to the Apostles was simple: "By what power or what name did you do this?" The religious leaders felt a threat, a threat that came with power. But whose?

Jesus' kingdom, through His empowered witnesses could not but clash with the kingdom built by Rome, or in this case, the kingdom built by the religious leaders. But the clash that comes is markedly different than the usual clash of kingdoms. Peter and John did not fire an opening solvo at the religious establishment as officers in the Lord's Army. They simply witnessed in the name of Jesus to the healing that comes through the kingdom of God. It was then that they were called to account. "For an act of kindness."

Don't get me wrong—Jesus kingdom, through the Spirit and through these witnesses is wielding real power, but not the power of an army: not the power of death or the power to force, control, abuse, or destroy. These witnesses are wielding the power of the life-giving Spirit in Jesus' name. First—using that power to lift up a man in kindness, and second, using that power to speak the life-giving word of salvation in Jesus' name to the crowds gathered in response, through which "sins may be wiped out, and… times of refreshing may come" (Acts 3:19). They used what they had with them: their deeds and words, the Spirit empowered tools of witness in the kingdom of God.

Brought before the Sanhedrin on trial and faced with the question "by what power or name did you do this," they answered: in the name of Jesus in whom life and salvation are found. They sought none of this out. They uttered no threats. They forced no violence. But their witness brought their hearers to a point of decision and response: will you reject this name of Jesus, or accept it?

The Apostles did not set out to be witnesses that day, they simply responded in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Spirit to the situations they encountered along the way. We are also empowered by the Spirit and carry the life-giving name of Jesus Christ wherever we go as "Christ"ians. So the question for us: how might you bear the name of Jesus in your deeds and words in the situations you face today?

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others (Romans 12:4-5).

Today, we begin to talk body image. No, not as it is usually understood within our cultural context. Rather, this is body imagery as the Bible relates it to the church. To understand it, we need to recall how we got here. Romans 12 began with a view of God's mercy. This, of course, refers to the great work of redemption in Christ. All who believe in him become recipients. To receive God's salvation, nothing more is needed then to believe that God redeems us in Christ. In response, we are called to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God and be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

The renewed mind, that is, the Christian mind, can discern and commit itself to accomplishing the will of God. The first act of the renewed mind is to view oneself with sober judgement, not too highly and not too lowly. Rather, we are to see ourselves as the adopted children of God and as his instruments of mercy. We have reflected on all this in previous editions of Wilderness Wonderings. Now we come to the second task of the renewed mind: to view the church properly. The Bible offers us a very strong image for the church: the church is compared to a human body. And like the human body has many parts which all have different functions, so the church consists of people who all have their own function.

In these verses there is a key phrase: 'in Christ'. The church is not just a lose connection of people, rather it is a people joined together in Christ. This establishes something significant about the redemption God has brought into the world through Christ. Christ's death and resurrection did not just redeem individual people who are now heading towards heaven. Rather, Jesus' own sacrifice brought about a new humanity, which is the church. Paul does not mince words: "each member belongs to all the others". Let me not mince words either, 'You cannot do this Christian thing on your own. You need other Christians.'

To be "in Christ" is to be joined to "his body." In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul also makes use of this imagery. In chapter 11 he writes at length about Christ's body. But there the phrase refers to two things: Christ's physical body and the church. Sometimes, one just doesn't know which he means. Of course, he is writing about the Lord's Supper, other wise known as Communion or the Eucharist. But his point is exceedingly clear: when we participate in the Lord's Supper, we are being joined both to Christ's body (physical) and to Christ's body (church), and we better have a high regard for both.

The Bible calls us to live out our Christian faith along with other Christians. The gathering of these Christians is called a church. As followers of Jesus, we need to identify and participate with a church. Nobody in living memory remembers a time in Canada when the local church was not able to meet together for worship, fellowship and outreach. As such, the church in Canada does live in unprecedented times. Which raises an important question: how do we participate in a local church in this context?

We will continue reflecting on this body image next week. Until then, take some time to consider these questions: have you been connected to a local church during these days of physical distancing? What can you do to forge a deeper connection with the church, the body of Christ Jesus?

Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. (Acts 3:2-8)

Every day, a man who could not walk was carried to the church. Every day he begged the people going to church to worship God to give him money. And so he made his difficult living. We're not told, but no doubt there were unkind comments, aggressive refusals, and jokes thrown at him from those who quite literally looked down on the man who could not stand.

Begging was not an honourable thing to do. Beggars were not necessarily clean folk to touch. "Death is better than begging" said some ancient Jewish writers (Sirach 40:28). Beggars were objects. Akin with the gate the beggars sat in—no more humanity to them than the architecture. They were naught but objects of charity for the more privileged, able-bodied folks to demonstrate their piety upon.

Now, this man had been lame from birth. His situation was not of his own making, nor was there anything he could do to change the realities that had placed him in this disparity of health or economic standing. He was simply born that way. Out of his control. Yet it forced unkind, even cruel societal distinctions and labels upon him like "lame" and "beggar" and "object of charity." He's not even dignified with a name.

Yet when Peter and John, the Spirit-filled witnesses of Jesus' kingdom walk through, they hear him. They are affected by him—and they stop their trip to worship at the sound of this man's voice. Then they turn to him and they see him. The text almost uncomfortably points out how they "looked straight at him." And they would not move their gaze until he met it. "Look at us!" Peter said. This was not a cold, passing transaction that one has with an object—this was a real, person-to-person, human encounter.

Peter and John did not only dignify the man's humanity, though that was an important part of their witness. They also offered him a taste of the kingdom. One that not merely pitied the man or helped him, but one that reached out and was willing to make contact with the man through touch. It was a taste of the kingdom that quite literally raised him up and made him an equal part with them. This taste of Jesus' kingdom restored his dignity, empowered him, healed him, made well and made right the evils of this world as embodied in his story—evils that once seemed beyond any remedy.

No matter how someone looks, where they were born, the colour of their skin, the tenor of their accent, the ability of their body, or their gender—they are human persons, created in the image of God and therefore have inherent dignity. All these distinctions we make are distinctions we make. But their worth in the eyes of God does not change. Jesus came for such as these. The Holy Spirit works among all of these. And as witnesses of the kingdom of God, we are called to join Him.

So: who among the image-bearers of God have you treated as an object, rather than as a person? Who is crying out at the gates that you might need to hear and listen to? Who is longing for restoration that you might be called to see? How can you, in the Name of Jesus, offer to the least of these, a true empowering, restorative, dignifying taste of the kingdom of God?

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you (Romans 12:3).

Based on the 'Therefore'… which marks the beginning of Romans 12, many believe this chapter shifts the nature of the letter. Some have made the observation that the first 11 chapters are theology while the rest of the letter is the application. It's my opinion that theology and application are not so easily divided. Surely chapter 8, which is beloved by so many Christians, is beloved because it resonates with the heart. That chapter holds profound theology and application that cannot be separated from each other.

One thing is sure, the emphasis in this entire letter is the mercy of God poured out in Jesus Christ. One major application is that this stream of mercy is rich and powerful enough to overcome the long-standing division between Jew and Gentile. Since, both Jew and Gentile are now part of this new thing called the church, how does that mercy enable us to live together? That, I think, is the real burden that chapter 12 introduces. Paul wants us to take a good long look at that mercy, so that it saturates our beings like water a sponge. And as a full sponge just leaks water, so he wants the followers of Jesus to just leak mercy.

But where to begin? Well, by offering our bodies as living sacrifices, of course. And since our bodies are controlled by our minds, our minds need renewing. Understand, that Paul is not making a neat modern division between mind, body and soul. The Bible sees us humans as holistic beings. Its better to think of the mind as our control centre, so it's a good place to start the renewal. Remember, that God is the one who, through his Word and Spirit, is doing the work of transforming us. But since we participate, it is helpful to know what God is up to.

And so, in our verse for today, we are told to think properly about ourselves: "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment." Arrogant people love to tell you how well educated they are, they focus on how much they have accomplished or acquired, and they can't hear a story without having to top it. They know more, travel farther, work harder, and play better — and they are never, ever wrong. As Christians, we are not to act this way. We are not to imply or think that we are better than others. Is this not the issue that divides our world so violently today? Some of us think that we are better than others; more deserving of the world's resources. Elsewhere, Paul has made it clear that he used to think about himself that way. He used to be all puffed up about his Jewishness; not anymore.

On the other hand, Paul is not telling us to think terrible thoughts about ourselves; as if we are no good for anything. We may be broken but we are God's great treasure on this earth. We have been given adoption papers that provide us the honour of being called children of God (8:14-17). This is cause for celebration, not self-condemnation. We are to have a balanced, sensible, realistic view of ourselves. In other words, we are to see ourselves as God sees us, not in comparison to others. He sees us as his redeemed instruments of mercy. And that is what we are. We are to become servants in the world, not doormats.

All who believe in Jesus have received God's mercy. We are sponges full of that mercy, walking through this world pouring out the mercy upon others. This is the sober judgement we ought to have about ourselves: we are God's instruments of mercy. And we don't need to worry about running out. God's mercy knows no limits: as we give, God fills us up again. As Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy."

With many other words [Peter] warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. (Acts 2:40-44)

It's an incredible story. The Spirit comes on the apostles. The Spirit gathers a crowd from "every nation under heaven." The Spirit equips Peter to witness of Jesus to this crowd and enables that message to be heard by that crowd across all their different languages. And then by the end, the Spirit has opened the hearts of 3,000 people to receive the message, be baptized, and take their place in the fellowship of believers.

And what a fellowship it was! They all were together and had everything in common. Devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. How we wish our churches looked like that, especially right now in these days when we're no longer able to gather.

But I think Luke left something out of the story. A pretty important detail, actually. This large crowd that had gathered from every nation under heaven in Jerusalem that day—were all from out of town. They didn't live in Jerusalem. They lived elsewhere—in all those other nations under heaven. They had only come to Jerusalem for the Jewish feast of Pentecost.

Which meant that even though the believers may have been all together in those first few days—they didn't stay that way for long. Like at the end of a church service—soon they would all go home. So while we think of this idea of the early church being "all together" sharing "everything in common," that's not quite the whole story. It was probably only just a taste—a glimmer of what true Christian fellowship could be. Then, it was time to go home.

Those early travelers would bring to their homes a taste of something good indeed though. A taste of the Kingdom of God breaking out on Earth through the power of the Spirit—Jesus reconciling a church to Himself from every nation under heaven where all are truly and justly: together. Filled with the Spirit they too would go and tell as witnesses of what they had seen, heard, and experienced of Jesus and His Spirit filled community.

As yeast through the dough, the Kingdom of God would spread. And with it, this taste of a church without borders or barriers of race, culture, wealth, or language. Sure, the church wouldn't and hasn't always—or even often—looked like that. But a community like that is the longing placed in our hearts by the reconciling power of Jesus through the Spirit. And so we pray: come, Lord Jesus.

Where is a taste of Jesus' kingdom needed in your life or community? How might the Spirit be equipping you to witness to it?

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 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 (Romans 12:1-2).

This is the last Wilderness Wanderings on these two verses; next week we move on. For today, we focus on the last sentence of these verses, "Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

We have been reflecting on the spiritual transformation that Christians experience because they have attached themselves to Jesus. Even though God does the transforming, we are called to participate. Our main task is to situate ourselves in the streams of God's grace. When we do that, we begin to change from the inside out. Our outward behaviour will either mimic the behaviour of people with different faiths, or we will be transformed from the inside out by the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. The call in these verses is that we get busy with the later…to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Understand, this is a fundamental transformation of character and conduct, away from the standards of the world and into the image of Christ himself. To the Ephesians Paul expresses the same ideas this way, as Christians we are "to be made new in the attitude of our minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness…." He also tells us to "Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 4:24-25, 5:1-2).

As we humbly respond to this, the Lord does the transforming. We learn to view the world through the lens of Scripture, that is, through the eyes of God, and we learn to respond to events as Scripture teaches. The Holy Spirit uses many means for this transformation: Scripture, our experiences, trials and hardship, joys and successes, and fellowship with other believers. Gradually our minds begin to think as God thinks, desire what God desires, love as God loves, and see things with the same perspective as He sees them. As this becomes a reality, we are able to discern the will of God and to cooperate with Him in accomplishing it (Eph. 4: 17-24; Col. 3: 1-11).

Our minds need to be renewed, otherwise we detest and rebel against God's ways. Let's be clear: Christians are intended to think and act differently then those of other faiths. Because we believe there is a better way, we don't go along with the crowd. As our minds are renewed, we begin to see God's will as good, perfect and pleasing. And we want to do his will which is given in broad strokes in the scripture. But we encounter many situations where there is no specific law. For those occasions we need renewed minds to determine how to think and act.

What Paul wants us to understand is that a renewed mind can discern God's will in situations where there is no biblical instruction. A renewed mind can also appreciate that this is the best way forward. And thirdly, a renewed mind can and will decide to obey God's will.