Since we are "living sacrifices" that are holy unto to God. Part of living for God is allowing our hearts and minds to be changed. Jesus said, "as a man thinks in his heart so is he." It is a widely accepted fact that our thoughts produce our actions. So in order for us to live for God as we should we have to get our thought life in order and bring it under submission to Christ.

The Apostle Paul gives several commands and clarifications in these verses..

I. "Be not Conformed to this world"

To be conformed means to be fashioned after to be patterned after something.

So we see that he is saying not to be patterned after this world. The word for world here means age or time period. So we are to different than our surroundings free from all the bondage that society places upon us. Our society tells us that we are to "Look out for number one," to "Be beautiful and thin, and wealthy and young looking." Our society tells us that life is to be fun and convenient that there is no right and wrong but we are to decided for ourselves what is right and wrong. As long as you are happy that is all that matters. God is telling us in this passage that we are not to pattern ourselves after this world. When I think of conform I think of being squeezed and forced into a mold. God tells us that we should not be worldly.

We are in the world but not of the world.

We are not to love the world. (I JN 2:15-16)

We are not to be friends with the world. (Jas 4:4:4)

We should not be surprised if the world hates us. (Jn 15:18)

II. "But be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Did you know that the Greek word for transform is "metamophoo?" What does that sound like in our language? Metamorphic! It means to change to be transfigured.

You may have heard me say this a thousand times but it bears repeating, it is one of my life lessons.

Reformation changes a person from the outside in.

Transformation changes a person from the inside out.

So how are we to be changed/transformed?

We do this by:

Reading the Word of God.

Meditating on the Word of God.

Applying the Word of God to our lives.

Submitting to the Holy Spirit Gal 5:17

Two important verses about our thought life are Phillipians 4:8

Think on these things whatsoever is:

true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good report, virtuous, praise worthy

Casting down imaginations and every thought that exalts itself against God taking every thought into captivity and bring it into the obedience of Christ. II Cor 10:5.

III. "Not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think."

That means exactly what it says, that we are not to be arrogant or vain, or to value ourselves too much.

Now it doesn’t mean that we are not think of ourselves highly. We just should not verestimate how wonderful we are.

In Christ we can do all things. Phil 4:13

Without Christ we can do nothing. Jn 15:5

If we are to glory let us glory in the cross. I Cor 1:31

IV. "We are to think of ourselves soberly as God has dealt to every man a measure of faith."

To think soberly means to think in your right mind. To think properly, sanely. For God has bestowed upon us a measure of faith. We are to operate in that faith He has given to us.

We are to live by faith Roms 1:17

We are to walk by faith II Cor 5:7

We are to overcome by faith I Jn 5:4

We can not please God without our faith. Heb 11:6

V. "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office. So we being many are one body in Christ, and everyone members of one another." Roms 12:4

The word for members is "limb or body part." The word office is "function" So Paul illustrates: As you and I have a body, yet all of our body parts do not do the same thing each parts operates in what is was designed to do."

How does that fit with verse 3 Not thinking of our self more highly than we ought to think?

The word gift is "Charisma" which means, "a spiritual endowment, a free gift"

The word grace is "charis" which is translated grace divine favor or pleasure.

We each have different gifts that are graciously given to us by God for His good pleasure, His will, His purpose.

Differing gifts listed:

Prophecy (Both Foretelling and Forthtelling the word of God).  God gives spiritual insight to the prophet we must listen to and receive the prophecy.

Ministry (service being a servant)

Teaching (to impart scriptural knowledge and application)

Exhortation (to beseech just like verse 1, to invite, to implore, to encourage)

Giving (imparting or to share)

Ruling or Leadership (to preside over)

Mercy (pity, compassion)

Special How to instructions:

Prophecy: according to the proportion of faith that they have.

Serving: Let us be attentive to it or them.

Teaching: Be attentive to teaching

Exhortation: Be attentive to encouraging

Giving: "simplicity" singleness/sincerity

Ruling: With eagerness, earnestness, careful attention

Mercy with cheerfulness (Hilarotes)

So how does this relate to verse three? Not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think? Because: Our faith is given to us and our gifts are given to us. So without Him we are nothing, and we can do nothing.

Here is a parting thought:  Why is it so hard to be a living sacrifice to God?  Because the living sacrifice keeps crawling on and off the altar!  

I love all y'all
God Bless!
Brother Todd