There are many things that can be shaped into various forms by being poured into a mold. There are various foods, such as cakes, candies, or jello that can be shaped by fancy or fun molds. The manufacturing world also uses molds a lot when making all sorts of things from toys to tools. How about people? Though we aren’t poured into a literal mold, in a figurative way we are frequently molded into the pattern of one thing or another. Whatever we allow to influence us will mold us into their pattern. Sometimes that can be a good thing, such as when godly parents guide their children to grow up to become good, upstanding young men and women. However, other things can mold or influence our life, and often not in a good way. In our brief Scripture for today, Paul speaks about this. Let’s see what we can learn.
The Apostle Paul begins this brief passage by urging believers to present themselves as a living sacrifice to the Lord (vs. 1). In Old Testament times, the Jewish people would bring animal sacrifices to the Tabernacle, and later, to the Temple. These could be sin offerings, sacrifices for thanksgiving, or on holy days. After Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice of Himself on the cross for our sins, we no longer bring animal sacrifices. Instead, Paul says that we should give our lives as a living sacrifice to the Lord. The only acceptable worship is to offer ourselves completely to the Lord. We owe God our highest form of service.
Many Christians do not live lives that honor God. Paul tells us to turn ourselves over to God each day, lay our wills on the altar before Him, and ask Him to use our lives for His glory, and the good of His people. It is a spiritual act of worship by giving ourselves fully to the Lord. This is a definite act of presenting ourselves to God. We daily lay aside our own desires in order to follow Jesus. We put all of our energy and resources at His disposal, and trust in Him. Our life should be an ongoing process of submission and separation, allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us.
To follow God’s plan, we need to surrender our rights to Him, and embrace His ways. When the Old Testament believers presented a sacrifice at the Tabernacle, it became holy. There was total commitment, as the sacrifice could not turn around and go back. We need to choose every day to let Jesus rule in our life.
The second verse brings us to the idea we began this study with - who or what we are allowing to mold our lives after (vs. 2). Paul does not beat around the bush here. He comes right out and states clearly that believers should not conform themselves to the standards of the world, but instead to transform our minds, and follow the perfect will of God. We need to resist being poured into the mold of the world’s thinking, its value system, and its conduct. Since we are saved, Jesus Christ now lives within us, and our decisions should not be made in conformity to worldly values.
Transformation of our minds begins with our thinking and consciences, when we commit to listening to and obeying God. We renew our minds by studying God’s Word, the Bible. Our hearts are changed as we submit to Him. After we become believers, God restores our conscience as we read His Word and grow in our understanding of His commands and desires.
When we spill something on clothes or the carpet, we immediately try to clean the spot off before it stains. The same should be with our minds. We cleanse our minds and renew them, changing them for the better by removing the filth of this world, along with all defeat and discouragement. Our minds can be changed from worldly to godly only with steady application of Scripture. We replace all of the old, erroneous thought patterns with the truth found in the Bible. The Holy Spirit will change our thinking through consistent study and meditation of Scripture. A renewed mind is one that is saturated with and controlled by the Word of God.
If we would like God’s blessings on earth, and who wouldn’t, we must not live as a friend to this world. We should not be in close association with those who influence or mold us into the world’s pattern. Let’s give ourselves wholly to the Lord, and allow His Word, the Bible, to transform our mind and life to be like that of Jesus.
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