Truth That Transforms

Truth That Transforms
by Don Vess

Romans 12:2 NLT- Don’t copy the behavior and customs of the world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is.

The way we think is responsible for the way we conduct ourselves in every facet of life. What we allow into our minds effects our thinking, our thinking determines our actions and our actions determine our destiny. I am a firm believer that each of us are created by God with a divinely determined destiny, but we have the choice as to whether we choose to follow that path that God has marked out for us or not.

We know that the path of righteousness is not an easy one, but it is a rewarding one. Prov. 4:18 The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.19 But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over. Jesus spoke about choosing the path the leads to eternal life:

Matt 7:13-14 NLT “You can enter God’s Kingdom ONLY through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who CHOOSE the easy way. 14 But the gateway to LIFE is SMALL, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.” (Jn.14:6- I am the way, truth, the Life---)

Prov. 14;12 and Prov 16:25 say very same words- “There is a path before each person that SEEMS right, but it ends in death. NLT

Now what determines the direction each of us take? It is, the decisions that we all make that are determined by what WE THINK that is affected by the information received into our minds. This takes us back to Romans 12:3 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a NEW PERSON by CHANGING THE WAY YOU THINK. Then you will KNOW what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is. NLT.  

To be Transformed: Metamorphoo- Meta: denoting a change of place or condition. Morphoo- morph-ah-o: To form

Repentance is the first step toward transformation. Acts 2:38 Peter replied to the men who on the day of Pentecost witnessed the baptism of the Holy Spirit falling on the disciples who were gathered in the Upper Room. Peter, after having been filled with the Holy Spirit explained what had just transpired and the listeners were filled with awe and with holy fear. They asked, “What must we do to be saved?”

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Repent: Metanoeo: (meta- no-ay-oh)- Meta: denoting a change of mind or condition and Noeo: to perceive with the mind, think, comprehend.

Repent means- To change the mind, relent, implying the feeling of regret or sorrow.

Example: 1 Cor 5:1-5 NIV- It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not even occur among the pagans: a man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather be filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? 3 Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed, and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

When Paul writes his second letter to Corinth, he writes: 2 Cor 7:8-12 I am no longer sorry that I sent that letter to you, though I was sorry for a time, for I know that it was painful to you for a little while. 5 Now, I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to HAVE REMORSE AND CHANGE YOUR WAYS. It was the kind of sorrow God wants people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10 For God can use sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek salvation. We will never regret this kind of sorrow. But sorrow without repentance is the kind that results in death.

Again, the way we THINK about things determines the way we ACT. If we rationalize in our thinking so that we take the truth of God and exchange it for a lie, then we are on a very dangerous and slippery slope. The Apostle Paul wrote about what happens when men reject the truth of God and
exchange the truth for wrong thinking.

Romans 1:18-32 NLT- But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So, they have no excuse for not knowing God.

21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So, they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. 28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful.

They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. This is not good! But the Gospel can change and transform the mind of even the most wicked and vile person. The Word of God can change and transform even the most simple- minded of men.

Ps. 119:130 NLT- As Your words are taught, they give light; even the simple understand them.

School, as we know it, can be good to train the mind in such things as reading, writing and arithmetic. It is needful to train and equip our scientists, professionals: Doctors, lawyers, and such, and it has tremendous value. Hats off and many prayers for those who teach our kids, especially the godly teachers who really care about their students and take the time to truly teach them. But the greatest ground for learning is in the home. That is where the parents are commanded by God to “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Prov 22:6 NKJV

Moses instructed the people of Israel as they were preparing to enter into the land God had promised to them; Deut. 6:4-9 Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them AGAIN and AGAIN to YOUR CHILDREN. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up in the morning.

The greatest thing we can possibly do in life is LOVE THE LORD! If we love the Lord, then we will love our neighbor. Our homes and families will be properly maintained with godly principles. We will raise godly children that will impact nations with the gospel of Christ. The power of Christ is the power that brings about lasting change.