TRANSFORMING HEARTS

  "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; NKJV]


Generally, we think of the necessity of having our mind and thought processes transformed, in order to become holy--but that is only half of the transformation. Upon further examination we find that the Greek word "nous" (or mind) doesn't simply refer to the "mind"--as intellect, but it is the very whole of man. The soul is the correct interpretation, and it embodies both mind and heart. In [Matthew 12:34], Jesus says, "...out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh". The Greek word for heart here is "kardia" and it means:  the center and seat of spiritual life

a) the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors

b) of the understanding, the faculty and seat of the intelligence

c) of the will and character

d) of the soul so far as it is affected and stirred in a bad way or good, or of the soul as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions. 

This is the same definition given for for "nous" (or mind) in [Romans 12:2]. What does this mean to us? This means that the transformation--the renewal, the amazing metamorphosis and life-changing event that happens to us--or should be happening to perfect us, is much deeper than externals. It is way beyond simple thought processes, and a change of mind. It is a renewed heart. David cried out, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit." Like those Paul was (and is) addressing in [Romans 12], This cleansing and renewal isn't dealing with people coming into the Body of Christ, in repentance, but it is for those already in relationship with God, in need of restoration. 

Our hearts matter, and where they are focused matters greatly, too. Since, the fall of mankind, God has been chasing our hearts--our minds are not enough. We don't worship within our minds, we don't interact with Him and one another through our minds. The source of our worship and human interactions is the heart, so it must be renewed and turned toward righteousness in order to abide in the Vine and bear fruit. When David prayed that very desperate prayer of repentance, it was just after Nathan confronted him, for his sin of adultery with Bathsheba, and the murder of Uriah (her husband), to cover up his sin. We may not be guilty of a sin so heinous as this, but all sin is heinous, dark and abhorrent to God, Who is only Holy. And, it isn't simply the visible or tangible act, but the defiled heart, that leads to the corrupt act, that is the real problem or the deadly root. Sin doesn't just happen. It doesn't fall on any of us, out of nowhere. Something always precedes the act. 

How do we get entangled in sin? We know, of course, that we don't have to sin. We have a choice. Jude wrote, "Now to Him Who is able to keep you without stumbling or slipping or falling, and to present [you] unblemished (blameless and faultless) before the presence of His glory in triumphant joy and exultation [with unspeakable, ecstatic delight]--To the one only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory (splendor), majesty, might and dominion, and power and authority, before all time and now and forever (unto all the ages of eternity). Amen (so be it)." [Jude 1:24,25 Amplified Bible]

But, we sin. Why? Our minds are not transformed and we are conformed to this world. John said this, "Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one's own resources or in the stability of earthly things]--these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself]. And the world passes away and disappears, and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of it; but he who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in his life abides (remains) forever." [1 John 2:15-17] 

The proof is in what is happening among us. We don't look very different from the world, other than maybe the way some of us adorn ourselves, outwardly--the divorce rate in the church is equal to, or (it has been said) has surpassed that of non-believers. Our youth (and the not so young, too) are engaging in sex outside of marriage at alarming rates. Scandals abound among church leaders. Homosexuality and lesbianism is accepted and condoned (if only by silence). Many churches resemble corporations more than the New Testament concept of "Koinonia". Churches split over political choices and differences, etc. These things only happen when our desire is for the things of the world--its systems and its enticements, its temporal wealth and promises and when we begin to focus on ourselves more than we focus on God and on one another (in godly love). When God rebuked Israel through the prophet Ezekiel, He called Israel an harlot and said they were even more corrupt than Sodom and Samaria. While speaking to them, He said of Sodom, " this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: pride, overabundance of food, prosperous ease, and idleness were hers and her daughters'; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.  And they were haughty and committed abominable offenses before Me; therefore I removed them when I saw it and I saw fit." [Ezekiel 16:49,50 Amplified Bible] Sodom--and Israel had the same issues we have, and the churches in Asia Minor (that the Apostle John wrote to)--it isn't new, but it can be overcome. It is not hopeless! Maybe, it looked like it, at one time. Jeremiah said, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]?" The answer is the LORD, knows and because He has that knowledge--(He in fact, saw the wretched state of mankind before mankind was) He made Himself preparation. He became the perfect Plan, for us, and brought us grace--so that we could be delivered from "the body of this death"! "O thank God! [He will!] through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One) our Lord! So then indeed I, of myself with the mind and heart, serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

The transformation takes place in the deepest part of us--not simply a mind change, where our thoughts govern our actions; but our hearts determine our thought processes, which determines what we speak and what we do. If the heart is corrupt, then everything else will be corrupt--the mind cannot change anything without the transformed heart. The mind needs the heart to be in Agape-mode to function according to holiness. It takes L-O-V-E (AGAPE) to live a holy life. That is the proof of transformation. That is why Jesus could say, "By this, shall all men know that you are my disciples, that you have love one to another" [John 13:35]. It is also why Jesus said, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" [Matthew 22:38-40]. 

Revival is what we need and, what our nation needs; but it won't happen until we are renewed and transformed within our hearts and minds. It can't occur until our souls, the real part of us, the eternal man, cries out like the Psalmist in sincerity for true and lasting transformation the church will see no revival. We want to dance, but before the dance of victory, there is always some time of preparation, cleansing, even mourning. We hate discomfort, but avoidance only prolongs the process. To get to the other side, we have to go THROUGH. Ease doesn't produce revival; it produces complacency.

*2 Chronicles 7:14*

Grace,

Lisa