conformed

Renewed by the Eclipse: The Economy of Investment

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Many are already aware that there is an “economy of investment.”  That you receive proportionately to your investment was renewed for me by the recent solar eclipse. 

There were plenty of opportunities to invest.  The local library (one block from my office) had an “eclipse party.” They provided the needed glasses and eclipse shaped cookies.  Obviously, the internet and television were also available. There are also plenty of boxes available, since we are still getting settled from our recent move.

I chose to limit my investment.  No one else can be blamed. I made the decision to keep working in my office. Therefore, my experience was also limited.  Yes, I did walk outside a couple of times and looked up — without glasses.  That is why what I observed, what in this area was a very slightly darkened (almost hazy) atmosphere, was not very impressive.

Others made investments ranging from shadow boxes to driving many miles to experience the total solar eclipse.  The extent of their investment was rewarded in keeping with the economy of investment.  While many were not highly impressed, others were blessed abundantly.  Those experiences have been expressed in multiple ways, including a variety of posts on social media. 

What are you investing?

This morning I reflected on the event and the variety of responses. I remembered the oft-repeated expression of my father, “You get out of something what you put into it.”  Our conversations were often centered around statements of church members.  You have heard them (or maybe even thought/expressed the same).  “I didn’t get much out of that service… or that church… or that message.” 

In Paul’s letter to the Christians at Rome, he makes it clear that believers have an investment to make (in view of the wonderful salvation of which he has been writing – “therefore“).

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  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 12:1-2, ESV)

It is not working to earn salvation or a blessing.  Yet, notice again how it is our task is to “present… not be conformed… be transformed by the renewal.”  We need to invest/respond with wholehearted commitment.

So, if you are not getting much out of your worship experience, think about the economy of investment.  Maybe you, too, can be renewed by this lesson from the eclipse.  If nothing more, at least try a spiritual “shadow box”, or get some new spiritual glasses, or you might think about “present[ing] your [body] as a living sacrifice… (and) be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”

 

 

The Renewal of our Minds: “Eat this Scroll”

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Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome (and to us) that we can know the will of God.  Many want to know how this can be done.  We need to “be transformed by the renewal of [our] mind” (Romans 12.2).  Yes, it involves presenting ourselves as “living sacrifices.”  Then there is the tough part of not being conformed to the world.  In fact, he goes on to say that we are to be transformed (μεταμορφοῦσθε/metamorphosis).  We use the English form of this word to define the radical transformation from caterpillar to butterfly.  So how does this type of transformation relate to the renewal of our minds?

By the way, one of the key words for the change that we are called to make is repent.  The Greek word is μετανοέω (metanoia).  It is a compound word meaning to change one’s way of life as the result of a complete change of thought and attitude.  It, too, is a call to change/renew our mind.

Renewing our Minds

I love the book Your Mind Matters: The Place of the Mind in the Christian Life (IVP Classics)by John Stott.  In it he has written, “Knowledge is indispensable to Christian life and service. If we do not use the mind which God has given us, we condemn ourselves to spiritual superficiality.”

It seems rather obvious.  God has given us a mind and he expects us to use it.  I know I am switching to the King James Translation to suit my purpose, but I like Paul’s reminder to young Timothy.  He writes, “Study to show thyself approved unto God.”  We are called to do our best when we are handling God’s Word.  We have a lot of tough work before us for which we need to be prepared.

Eat this Scroll 

“Eat this scroll”

There is an image/metaphor that comes up twice in the Scriptures that can help us get a hold of what we are being called to do.  The first time is found in the Old Testament.  Ezekiel has received the call of God.  He has something God wants him to know and to speak to the people.  How can Ezekiel learn/know the will of God.  Chapter three begins, “And he said to me, ‘Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.’ So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat.” (Ezekiel 3:1-2, ESV)

He surely wasn’t being asked to literally eat the scroll.  Nor was John, the Seer of Patmos, which is the other time the metaphor is used (Revelation 10:8-11).  What God wanted was for Ezekiel and John to devour the message.  They were to digest every word contained on both sides of the scroll so that it would become a part of his total being. 

Psalm 119:11 was often used to remind us of the need to know God’s Word: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”  When we know God’s Word, we know God’s will.  When we know God’s Word, we know how we can stay if fellowship with God.  If we don’t know God’s Word, we need to get busy studying.  Our minds need to be renewed in order for us to be transformed.

How hungry are you?

So let’s get to it!  There are many passages we might not have tasted.  Others we have tasted, but we really haven’t really savored the “flavors.”  Hope this is making you hungry.  Are you ready for a blessing?  Do you remember what Jesus said? “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6).

Different

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“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.  They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.  But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:17–24, ESV).

As Christians, we are to be different!

I know there are better ways to translate the passages, but I often took pride in claiming to be one of the “peculiar people” (KJV) that God has in His possession (see Titus 2:14 and 1 Peter 2:9). Or how about joining Paul in claiming to be “fools for Christ’s sake” (1 Corinthians 4:10, ESV).

The point remains – we are to be different!

Do you remember how Paul begins Romans 12? He makes it crystal clear that the proper response to the mercy of God should be wholehearted commitment; being a Christian means that our entire of life is to be lived in service to God. We are to be changed/transformed – the word is related to metamophosis. There are things the Christian must avoid as well as things we are to do.  Paul appeals or urges the Christians at Rome to “…not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2, ESV).

When Paul writes the passage above, the is a process of change implied.  We are to put off the old, be renewed, and to put on the new.  He uses three infinitives and only one is passive.  We are to put off (aorist middle).  We are to put on (aorist middle).  But notice that we are to be renewed (present passive).  In his commentary, Kenneth Boles has written, “To be made new” (ἀνανεου̂σθαι, ananeousthai) is a present infinitive, drawing attention to the continuing aspect of the action. The renovating of one’s life is not an instantaneous thing, but a project still in progress.
The renewal takes place “in the spirit of your minds” by internal transformation. The process begins when the Spirit of Christ replaces the old self at conversion (Gal 2:20), and continues as the Christian is “transformed by the renewing of the mind” (Rom 12:2).” (Kenneth L. Boles, Galatians & Ephesians, The College Press NIV Commentary (Joplin, MO: College Press, 1993), Eph 4:23.)

It is time to be different, to be transformed, to be made new… “renewed in the spirit of your minds.”