The Power to Transform
Session 2 - The Power to Transform - Tim Hadley - WYPA 2023
God intends Transformation
Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed
to this world...
be transformed!
The Work of Transformation
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. - Romans12:1
The Connection:
“Therefore, I beseech brethren”
The Motivation:
“By the mercies of God”
The Command:
“Present your bodies a living sacrifice”
The Calculation:
“Our reasonable service”
The Work of Transformation
Nature Forms Us
Sin Deforms Us
Schools Inform Us
Jails Seek to Reform Us
The World Conforms Us
But Christ Transforms Us
Do not be conformed
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. -Romans 12:2
NEGATIVE COMMAND
Passive Voice - Imperative - Present tense
Paraphrased: Stop allowing yourselves to be molded by the influences and pressures of this present world system.
Be Transformed
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. -Romans 12:2
POSITIVE COMMAND:
“But be transformed by the renewing of your mind”
Passive Voice - Imperative - Present tense
Paraphrased: But allow God to completely change your inward thinking and outward behavior by cooperating wholeheartedly moment by moment with the Spirit’s renewing process.
Be transformed
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. -Romans 12:2
PURPOSE CLAUSE:
“That you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Paraphrased: So that our lives (our very lifestyles, 24/7) will experience and demonstrate what God’s will really is—that which is good, acceptable, and perfect.
The Sanctifying Power of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives
The Right Perspective: Romans 6
The Wrong Perspective: Romans 7
The Right Perspective and Power: Romans 8
The Spirit is the “Spirit of life.” In contrast to the “law of sin and death,” which condemns, the Spirit’s law sets us “free in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:2).
The Spirit is opposed to “the flesh.” Christians walk according to the Spirit, not the flesh. They live according to the Spirit and set their minds on the things of the Spirit instead of living according to or setting their minds on the things of the flesh. The flesh brings death, but the Spirit brings “life and peace” (Rom 8:4–6).
Those with the Spirit belong to God. Those with the Spirit are “in the Spirit.” Without the Spirit of Christ you do not belong to God. Having the “Spirit of Christ” and having Christ in you appear to be the same thing (Rom 8:9–10).
Those with the Spirit will rise from the dead. If you have the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, that same Spirit will give you the same result (Rom 8:11).
We need the Spirit to “put to death the deeds of the body.” The parallel structure of Romans 8:13 also implies that putting deeds to death by the Spirit is what it means to live according to the Spirit.
All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s children (Rom 8:14). Part of what it means to have God’s Spirit (Rom 8:9) is to be led by God’s Spirit.
The Spirit we have received is the “Spirit of adoption.” This Spirit is contrasted with a spirit of slavery which leads to fear; the Spirit of adoption produces affectionate cries (“Abba!”) to our Father (Rom 8:15)
The Spirit testifies that we are God’s children. The Spirit “bears witness” along with our spirits that we are children of God. And as children, we are “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Rom 8:16–17).
We have the first fruits of the Spirit. Having the Spirit in this way causes us to groan inwardly along with the creation, as we await our adoption as children of God (Rom 8:23).
The Spirit intercedes for us. In our weakness, we don’t know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit helps us, praying with groans that are too deep for words. Because the Father knows the mind of the Spirit, he receives what is in our hearts (Rom 8:26–27).
