Friday, January 4, 2019
Grace Changes Me
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2, NIV).
What is the grace of God? It is unconditional love that I don't deserve. There is nothing I can ever do that will earn His love. His love is a gift. His mercy delivers me from the punishment my sin deserves, and His grace blesses me even though I don’t merit it. His grace has rescued me from my own sin and selfishness. And it is the incredible life-changing power of the cross to those who believe in Him!
“Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes,” Paul wrote. “Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:23-24, NLT). My nature is new, but my mind needs to be transformed. I “put on my new nature.” I choose for my mind to be renewed continuously and molded by the Holy Spirit. Because of His tender mercy, I want to offer myself as a living sacrifice and live each moment in surrender to the incredible love that saved me.
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind!” Paul declares in Romans 12:2. This is life-changing. To be renewed and changed by the Holy Spirit is a decision that I make. In return, He brings His power to transform and renew my thoughts and my desires. It is my choice to “put on my new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:23-24, NLT). It is my decision “to make every effort to add to my faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Peter 1:5-7, NIV). When I purposely choose these qualities, I put on the new righteous nature that Jesus Christ bought for me on Calvary.
When I make the decision to spiritually grow into the person He knows that I can become, He faithfully changes my self-focused mind into one that focuses instead on others. If I constantly and consistently surrender my mind to the power of the Holy Spirit and choose to add these qualities in my life, I will be continually renewed in the “spirit of my mind” (Ephesians 4:23, NKJV). I shall not only be effective in what I do for Him, but I shall never look again at anything with a mind which has closed itself to all possibilities. My whole perspective will be changed by His renewing power. I will realize “in the spirit of my mind”the depths of the greatest love which continually changes me.
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