I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:1-2
In Romans 12:1–2, the Apostle Paul urges the believers in Rome to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. He also says, “Do not be conformed to this world”. In other words, a transformed mind leads us to knowing the perfect will of God. God wants us to see things from His perspective. In these days in which we are living, we need clarity in our thinking. That clarity comes by making a conscious and deliberate decision not to be conformed to this world’s way of thinking, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
One good example is when it comes to understanding God’s plan and purpose for Israel. Many in this world have deliberately set their hearts and minds against Israel. We see it on social media, but we also see it in politics, the media, and even within the Church. In fact, the recent Kairos documents, given credibility by the Anglican Synod, are evidence of a lack of discernment concerning Israel. Many Christians seem content to ignore the fact that God has not forsaken His promises to the Jewish people.
But there is a small word in this passage that might easily be overlooked. The word is therefore. Whenever we see the word therefore, it is like a little arrow pointing us to what has just gone before in preparation for what follows. It can also be understood as meaning “accordingly” or “consequently.” So we should always ask ourselves what precedes a verse that begins with therefore. In the case of Romans 12, it is preceded by chapters 9, 10 and 11– all concerning Israel. Chapter 11 tells us that God has not forsaken the people whom He chose. Read Romans 11, but on this occasion continue reading through into chapter 12.
In verse 2 of chapter 11, Paul writes that God has not “cast away His people whom He foreknew.” It reminds us that it is by grace, and grace alone, that Gentiles have become partakers of the spiritual inheritance God promised to His covenant people. Paul explains how Gentiles have been grafted into the olive tree, warning them not to boast against the natural branches, because Gentiles have become partakers of the root, not the other way around. It is with this understanding that we should show gratitude and humility towards the Jewish people.
The chapter goes on to explain that although blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, the day will come when all Israel will be saved. It describes Israel’s election as being “beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” Romans 11 concludes by speaking of the wisdom and knowledge of God: “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counsellor?”
Those who set themselves against Israel and the Jewish people are actively opposing the mind of the Lord. It can sometimes be difficult to understand how the subject of Israel and the Jewish people can provoke such hatred and hostility in the hearts of so many, or why such spiritual blindness exists within parts of the Church in our nation, or why antisemitism has become so prevalent in our society. It is a form of conformity to the world that is in rebellion to God’s Word. In contrast, we must remind ourselves that standing with Israel comes naturally when we choose not to be conformed to the thinking of a world that is in opposition to the will of God, but instead are transformed by the renewing of our minds.
To understand the acceptable and perfect will of God concerning Israel, we must seek the mind of God. It is as simple as that. After all, we must recognise that the conflict raging on this earth between good and evil, truth and lies, light and darkness is every bit as much a spiritual battle as it is an earthly one.
Let us pray that each of us will personally seek the mind of God concerning Israel. Pray for your local church, that it will stand with Israel. Pray for those you know who need transformation in their thinking. And pray for the Church across this land, and for the United Kingdom, that there will be fresh revelation through the Word of God and His promises – a revelation that rejects conformity to this world and embraces the truth that leads to spiritual transformation and restoration.
