Advent Midweek, Renewal 2011
Last Updated on Sunday, 01 January 2012 01:48
Advent Midweek
December 21, 2011
Romans 12:1-2
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.
We are continuing our midweek series on the theme of renewal.
St. Paul says to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The Greek word he uses for transformation there is meta-morph-o-o. It literally means to change into another form. And it’s where we get our English word, “metamorphosis.” It’s what happens when a caterpillar changes into a butterfly. Your metamorphosis through Christ is equally dramatic. We who are caterpillars are to become butterflies. Are there any caterpillars out there tonight?
I want you to notice that St. Paul uses the passive voice when he says, be transformed. Your metamorphosis is something that happens to you. It comes about by the power of God, not by human efforts at self-improvement. We cannot change ourselves by our own strengths or meritorious works. Oh, sure, we can make superficial cosmetic changes to ourselves, giving the appearance of change, but not at the deep level that matters.
God is in the process of meta-morphosing every part of you, body, mind and soul. Our transformation will not be complete until our resurrection on the Last Day, but the seed of rebirth and renewal was implanted in you when you were baptized.
The idea of transformation is a difficult one to get our heads around. We speak so much about forgiveness, and rightly so. Jesus Christ died on the cross so that we could be forgiven. But He did not die on the cross so that we could be forgiven, but then go on sinning. Another word the Bible uses for this transformation is sanctification. We are forgiven in Christ. We are also being made holy, a process of course that can be hard to see, impossible to measure and will only be complete in the world to come.
In tonight’s reading, St. Paul talks about the renewal of your mind. The Christian faith is not just a matter of the heart. It is also a matter of the mind. The mind or the intellect sometimes gets a bad rap in the Church. Yes, there is a downside to having an overly rationalistic approach to God. Christianity is not just a list of propositions. Christianity is not just a set of bullet points. Christianity is a relationship with God. But it’s not some foggy irresolute feeling either. Our faith is founded on facts. Jesus said that knowing the Truth will set you free. There are things you need to know. And by knowing them, your mind is set free. So toinight’s message is a defense of the mind and the intellect in Christianity.
St. Paul said, “do not be conformed to the pattern of this world.” Can you think of any ways that you are being conformed to worldly patterns? I’m going to pick on the hot-button topic of our time. Let’s consider your views of sexuality? Are your views, beliefs and opinions conformed to the pattern of this age or have you been renewed in your mind by the Word of God? In our society, the Bible’s clear teachings about sex outside of marriage, about homosexuality, about modesty, and about chastity are often looked at as hopelessly out-of-date, or worse, as dangerous. Look how things have changed. It used to be that if you held to a biblical view of this topic, you were generally supported by our culture. Then it shifted so that a biblical viewpoint might not be actively promoted, but it would be tolerated. But now, people with a biblical viewpoint are actively harassed. The Word of God went from being supported to being tolerated to the point we’re at right now, where it is being assaulted and condemned as immoral. So I ask you, are you being conformed to the pattern of this world or are you being transformed by the renewing of your mind?
The way our minds are renewed and transformed is by instruction from God’s Word. Not by osmosis. Owning a Bible that sits on your shelf, mostly unopened, is no more beneficial to your soul than just living next door to a church makes you a believer. Our minds are not transformed by just following your gut because there are probably going to be times when you gut contradicts the teachings of Scripture. But the Scripture is the ultimate authority for us, not my gut, not your gut, not our collective opinions, wishes, preferences or whims.
Have you ever wondered what it feels like for the caterpillar when he’s being changed into a butterfly? Without question, the end result is very beautiful. But I think it must be a very painful process to sprout wings and legs and be altered so dramatically. Human infants are born without teeth and when it comes time for the teeth to appear, it hurts. If caterpillars are capable of feeling pain, I imagine that the process of transformation is quite unpleasant.
Why should we expect the process of our own metamorphosis to be pain-free, to be easy? One of my favorite Christian writers is the Anglican C.S. Lewis. And one of my favorite quotes from him is this: “I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.”
I believe one of the greatest failings of the modern church is that we have been shaped by our culture’s way of thinking. In our culture, today, everyone is trained to think of himself as a victim. And in this victimized culture, it is perceived that the most loving thing you can do is comfort someone, or make them feel good about themselves. If you disapprove of anything, you are called hateful. If you disagree or confront anyone, you are rejected. So when this is applied in the Church, the gospel is changed. With this mindset, going to church is comparable to sitting in a hot tub for the soul. The best sermons are those that make me feel better. Well, who did Jesus make feel better when He preached to the Pharisees, “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” Not everyone word from God is a comforting word.
You know how you sometimes have to break a bone so that it can heal properly. In many ways, our minds have been ossified into certain ways of thinking and God has to break our minds to heal them. You should expect to be challenged by God, as well as comforted, if you want to be healed. In Jesus’ name. Amen.