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Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God\u2019s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God\u2014this 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\u2019s will is\u2014his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:1-2).

This is the last Wilderness Wanderings on these two verses; next week we move on. For today, we focus on the last sentence of these verses, \u201cThen you will be able to test and approve what God\u2019s will is\u2014his good, pleasing and perfect will.\u201d

We have been reflecting on the spiritual transformation that Christians experience because they have attached themselves to Jesus. Even though God does the transforming, we are called to participate. Our main task is to situate ourselves in the streams of God\u2019s grace. When we do that, we begin to change from the inside out. Our outward behaviour will either mimic the behaviour of people with different faiths, or we will be transformed from the inside out by the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. The call in these verses is that we get busy with the later\u2026to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Understand, this is a fundamental transformation of character and conduct, away from the standards of the world and into the image of Christ himself. To the Ephesians Paul expresses the same ideas this way, as Christians we are \u201cto be made new in the attitude of our minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness\u2026.\u201d He also tells us to \u201cFollow God\u2019s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God\u201d (Ephesians 4:24-25, 5:1-2).

As we humbly respond to this, the Lord does the transforming. We learn to view the world through the lens of Scripture, that is, through the eyes of God, and we learn to respond to events as Scripture teaches. The Holy Spirit uses many means for this transformation: Scripture, our experiences, trials and hardship, joys and successes, and fellowship with other believers. Gradually our minds begin to think as God thinks, desire what God desires, love as God loves, and see things with the same perspective as He sees them. As this becomes a reality, we are able to discern the will of God and to cooperate with Him in accomplishing it (Eph. 4: 17-24; Col. 3: 1-11).

Our minds need to be renewed, otherwise we detest and rebel against God\u2019s ways. Let\u2019s be clear: Christians are intended to think and act differently then those of other faiths. Because we believe there is a better way, we don\u2019t go along with the crowd. As our minds are renewed, we begin to see God\u2019s will as good, perfect and pleasing. And we want to do his will which is given in broad strokes in the scripture. But we encounter many situations where there is no specific law. For those occasions we need renewed minds to determine how to think and act.

What Paul wants us to understand is that a renewed mind can discern God\u2019s will in situations where there is no biblical instruction. A renewed mind can also appreciate that this is the best way forward. And thirdly, a renewed mind can and will decide to obey God\u2019s will.

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