A Change of Mind

I came across this quote in Sheila Walsh’s book It’s Okay Not to Be Okay. In regards to Romans 12:1-2 she says:

“You might be tempted to ask, ‘What’s wrong with my mind?’ You’re smart, well educated, and computer savvy, with endless information at your fingertips—quite different than the audience Paul wrote to. The problem is not a lack of information; it’s a lack of renewal. We live in a fallen world, which means our minds are fallen too. We were made to worship, but unless our minds have been renewed, we don’t worship God, we worship what we want. The question remains, How do you renew your mind? The word renewal found in Romans 12:2 occurs only one other place in the Greek New Testament [in Titus 3:5], and it gives me great hope that this process is not something you and I can do by ourselves. We can’t. We need the Holy Spirit.”

She’s right—we can’t renew our own minds. Another sermon, another Bible study, another Sunday school class won’t cause us to be “transformed by the renewal of [our] mind” apart from the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit. As our pastor often reminds us, this is supernatural stuff we’re dealing with. We need to pray for ourselves and for our friends and family that God will do the work in our hearts and minds to make us receptive to His Word.

There are people who might be considered experts in the Scriptures. A recent book review on The Gospel Coalition raised the question of whether we can benefit from a non-Christian’s translation and commentary on the Old Testament. The answer is only to a limited extent. Without the work of God to connect us to the Messiah revealed throughout Scripture, all we are gaining is head knowledge. There are plenty of other people who struggle to read and understand the words in their Bibles, but they absorb all that they can because God has given them a thirst for Himself.

As we think about the programs and events we offer through our church, we need to bathe them in prayer, asking for the Holy Spirit to guide us to the right programs and the right message, but more importantly to work in the hearts of those who might attend. It is easy to get into a routine of doing the same things we’ve always done and not praying about it. We may wonder why people aren’t engaged in learning or why they seem so lackadaisical about their faith. But are we actually praying specifically for God to work in them? It doesn’t work to provide information without transformation by the Spirit. Certainly there are things we can do or not do that may facilitate learning, but the best teaching in the world will not change hearts or transform lives.

I’ve been convicted about this lately, because I can become judgmental about people who may not be at the same point in their walk with God. But as I look back over my own life, I remember the times when I was relatively disengaged from church and resistant toward where God was leading me. I had plenty of Bible knowledge, but it took a work of God to change my heart. Now I need to be reminded to pray for such a work in others’ lives.

So long as we are operating in our own strength and wisdom, we shouldn’t expect God to bless our efforts. I see an awful lot of churches that appear to be just going through the motions without really seeking God’s will and without praying for God’s work in individuals. Our fruitfulness is dependent on God’s power. Let us be diligent in praying for hearts and minds to be transformed and for lives that will abide in the Vine.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 ESV).

© 2019 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Put on Christ

This post builds on one I wrote in August. In the midst of some recent research, I came across this statement in Gilbert Bilezikian’s book Beyond Sex Roles:

“Where God wants to create unity and cohesion, the enemy seeks to cause alienation and separation. From the moment of our birth, a fallen society presses us into compartments and niches that become our private prisons for life. The concept of sex roles is one of those bondages from which the gospel can set us free. Nowhere does the Scripture command us to develop our sex-role awareness as males or females. It calls us—both men and women—to acquire the mind of Christ and to be transformed in His image (Gal. 3:27; Eph. 4:13; Phil. 2:5; and so on). Both men and women are called to develop their ‘inner man,’ which means their basic personhood in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. The ‘fruit of the Spirit,’ or the result of the Holy Spirit’s impact on human personality, is a character that exhibits ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control’ (Gal. 5:22-23). Biblically, such qualities pertain neither to masculinity nor femininity. They are the reflection of the person of Christ Himself” (208, 2^nd ed.).

I have to say that in light of our current culture wars on gender perceptions, this is one of the most encouraging quotes I’ve read in recent years. We seem to get so caught up in styles, trends, and preferences that we lose sight of what really matters. Although we may look to other role models, Jesus is the One who is our supreme example. He perfectly characterizes the fruit that we are to develop as we are conformed to His image.

Clothing, hair, makeup, mannerisms, interests, etc. are constantly changing and have no eternal impact. Heaven is not going to be divided into sections for hippies, geeks, tomboys, or fashionistas. Nor will it be divided by race, denomination, political affiliation, or any other label. There will be only one group—Christ-followers. We know this is true from Scripture, but I think we forget when it comes to daily living.

• “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7b ESV).
• “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious” (1 Peter 3:3-4).
• “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

The enemy has indeed maximized the opportunity for alienation and division. It is far easier to see how we are different from other people instead of finding what we have in common, as the recent riots in Charlotte have proven. It takes time and effort to see the heart of another person, along with the vulnerability to let others see our hearts. Let’s slow down and think carefully before we endorse or condemn any person or group.

“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).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan. 

The Face in the Mirror

Earlier this week I read Psalm 17:15 (ESV), “As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with Your likeness.” In the preceding verses David is talking about the “men of the world whose portion is in this life.” Those who are seeking satisfaction in the world will not seek satisfaction in God and His righteousness.

How often do we have misplaced priorities and start seeking our fulfillment in this life instead of in Christ? To dig a little deeper, how many of us can say, “I shall be satisfied with Your likeness?” If we lost everything else in this life—family, health, home—could we still find our peace and joy in God alone? I’d like to think I could, but I also know how quickly I can get discouraged with conflicts and difficulties. Reading the biographies of Corrie ten Boom, Anne Frank, and Diet Eman recently, I was amazed and convicted by their perseverance and good attitudes in the midst of horrendous circumstances.

To take the thought of God’s likeness one step further, consider 2 Corinthians 3:18, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (See also Romans 8:29.) If we don’t find satisfaction in His likeness, are we really all that interested in being transformed into His image? When we look in the mirror, do we see a child made in the image of God, or do we see someone who is trying to fit in, look good, or hide behind a mask?

Paul also wrote, “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). As important as that is for Christian maturity, it seems as though many who call themselves Christians don’t particularly care to be transformed. The things of this world can be quite appealing and can bring some level of satisfaction, so why should we reject them in favor of being transformed into the image of God? After all, it takes time and effort to seek God’s will and to pursue righteousness. It’s far easier to go along with the world’s priorities for time, money, family, career, politics, etc.

As I’ve asked these questions of myself, some of my answers have bothered me because I see the inconsistencies within me. James write that we are to “be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like” (James 1:22-24). In a couple different places recently I’ve heard this reminder from James. We may try to use different mirrors at times, but when we look into the mirror of the Word, we can’t pick and choose which parts we want to heed. That’s equivalent to loving the Lord with part of your heart, part of your soul, part of your mind, and part of your strength. None of us love Him perfectly, but that should be our heart’s desire, and being transformed into His likeness should be high on our priority list.

The song “Every Now and Then” by FFH is a good reminder of the distorted reflection and misperceptions that keep us from seeing our Father clearly. (You can read the lyrics here.) Sometimes we need to break the mirrors we’ve been using so we can see ourselves through the Father’s eyes and see how He is forming His image in us. He sees not just who we are today, but who we will one day be. That’s the perfect mirror we all need.

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10).

“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious” (1 Peter 3:3-4).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan.

A Rocky Start

One of the arguments for the historicity of the Bible is the fact that the writers didn’t sugarcoat the narrative. They portrayed people with all their faults and failures. I was thinking about that particularly in relation to the Apostle Peter. The transformation that takes place in his life between the writing of the four Gospels and when he wrote his epistles has to be attributed to the grace of God. In addition, what he wrote in his letters takes on greater meaning when you remember the experiences behind it. Consider just a few examples:

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7 ESV). This comes from the man who denied Jesus three times when the heat was on. Luke’s gospel tells us that Peter wept bitterly over his denial (22:62). He was indeed grieved about failing the test.

 “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution… For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly” (1 Peter 2:13, 19). And yet Peter was known for having drawn a sword to fight against Jesus’ arrest in the garden (John 18:10). Jesus rebuked him and then set the example of enduring sorrow while suffering unjustly.

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10). Peter got a taste of this graceful restoration after Jesus’ resurrection when He met them on the beach (John 21:15-17). I’m sure he also remembered Jesus’ words prior to the crucifixion, “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). Peter continued to do this through his preaching and writing until the end of his life.

“As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4-5). Peter was the one that Jesus told “on this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18), and yet he did not claim any special authority greater than that of any other believers. He said we are all being built together into God’s house.

Peter experienced all the highs and lows of following Jesus, from the transfiguration to the crucifixion, from walking on water to breakfast on the beach. He had a lot to teach from what he had learned along the way, and we can still learn from him. If God can take someone like Peter—brash, speaking before thinking, easily swayed by circumstances—and make him a valuable contributor to the church, how much can He do with each of us? What lessons have we learned that we need to share with others? We tend to think that our lessons are too personal or too painful to be shared, or that we have nothing new to say. But God will work through anyone who is willing to be honest and open about what He has done and is doing in their life. Each of us has a different circle of friends who need to hear the truth. Our lives become the continuous, living testimony to God’s existence and ability to transform people.

Peter could have denied Jesus and then disappeared from history. On the beach he could have told Jesus, “Yes, I love You, but I’m done with this fishing-for-men thing. I’ve had all I can take.” Instead, fifty days later he was boldly proclaiming who Jesus was, and thousands of lives were changed as a result. Perhaps a bit of his boldness can rub off on us as we trust God to use us for His kingdom.

 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” -1 Peter 2:9

© 2014 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.