The Rock Church

Hi guys,

Key thought this week... "Renewing the mind = transformation."

As you may have noticed, we have been preaching a lot at The Rock on transformation. We have been teaching that the main purpose of God's people is their personal transformation into the image of Christ^[1], which will in turn sanctify us corporately as Christ’s glorious, eternal Bride^[2]. This transformation will be produced through our daily commitment to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength^[3]; and by the renewing of our mind^[4]. This transformation is a work of His Spirit^[5] that will enable us to hear, see, think, speak, and act like Christ.

As an eldership, we have been pressing our family at The Rock to commit our lives to this process, because this is what we know God is calling His Church to become. As every one of us engages in this process of transformation then we will see a whole community become one with Him and each other; an authentic oneness in the Spirit, where we can say without any doubt we are of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in Spirit, and intent on one purpose^[6].  

As His people we are all called to live a demonstration of His life, which is the fruit His Spirit and His word operating in us^[7]. From this revelation we share with people the hope and the life that we have in us from our relationship with Him^[8].

This is all well and good, but for us to see and experience this truth in our lives, our minds must be in a state of constant renewal by His Spirit and truth. In other words: His reality is to become our reality, His ways are to become our ways, and His truth is to become our truth, so that we are able to see from a divine perspective rather than a worldly one^[9] and start living it^[10].

 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 12:2

 How many of us are still conformed to the pattern of this natural world we live in? How many of us have allowed our old natures to determine how we live and think? This is not an unusual condition; even the Apostle Peter struggled with it on occasion^[11]. This natural thinking is from the kingdom we have been rescued from, the kingdom of darkness. We are not demonic but this natural way of thinking is^[12].

Jesus constantly declared the truth and lived from its reality in Him; and so we find Him continually speaking and acting in opposition to the way of the world, and to the natural thinking of those around Him who could still not see, hear, or understand the truth He was proclaiming^[13].

Christ has given us the Spirit of truth to lead us into ALL truth^[14], into all of His divine reality. The Spirit leads, but to partake of His truth we must follow. His truth is a light that will reveal our old natures for what they really are. His truth sanctifies our souls^[15], killing off the old nature and nurturing the new.

Paul spoke in Romans of a "renewing" of the mind. This is an ongoing process, not a one-time event^[16]. God has proved Himself faithful to complete the good work that He has started in us^[17], but we must daily surrender to allow that work to progress in us^[18].

Christ’s blood covers all our short comings (i.e. our iniquity and sin^[19]), so these things don't disqualify us from all that He has for us. So let us all press into Him and come into His fullness, through the renewing of our minds by His Spirit and truth.

My prayer is that we continue to surrender ourselves to Him and His process of transformation here at the Rock, so that the demonstration of this life will be seen both in the life of our church and in each one of us.

Love to hear your thoughts on this.

Have a favoured week,
Greg