In Romans chapter 12 the apostle Paul writes:

“Do not conform any longer 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” (12:1-2)

From 10^th -12^th February the European Youth Presbytery (EYP) will meet in Brussels in our church building. The EYP met for the first time in Amsterdam last year and the purpose is to give the young people from our churches a voice within the Presbytery. There is also the opportunity of shared fellowship for some our young people from different parts of our far-flung Presbytery. The theme of this year’s EYP is ‘transformation’. In the above verse Paul speaks about the transformation of the mind. He is calling the Christians in Rome to have the way they think about the world transformed by the gospel and their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. They have a choice to make. They can live a life of ‘compromise,’ a ‘sort-of’ Christian life or they can open up their thinking to the ways of Christ’s kingdom.  When the gospel begins to change the way we think then we start to look at our world (neighbourhood, neighbours, colleagues, family, friends and church) through the eyes of Jesus. Jesus sees all human beings as lost in sin and in need of his forgiveness and redemption.

There is another kind of transformation that Jesus calls us to: a transformation of the soul. In John’s gospel chapter 3 a Pharisee named Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the dead of night seeking answers regarding Jesus’ ministry. Jesus responds that for Nicodemus (or anyone) to enter the kingdom of God they must be born again or born from above. The second birth that he speaks of comes when the Holy Spirit comes to live in the life of the Christian. The Holy Spirit renews the human spirit (soul). In fact when we think about the array of functions that the Spirit engages in the life of the believer or the Church itself, He does brings renewal to the soul and transform the life of the Church, into something much more than a mere human institution.

A third area of transformation is transformation of’ the human will. In his letter to the Ephesian Christians, Paul speaks about Christian life being different from one’s past life. He encourages the Ephesian Christians to ‘put off your old- self … and put on the new- self.’ [4:22-24]. Again Paul speaks of a new attitude to be adopted in the Christian’s mind: a mind that has been renewed by a relationship with Jesus will be a mind that exerts an effect on how a person behaves. In other words the changed mind will lead to a transformed will — ready and willing to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

The final area where the gospel transforms a person’s life is the human heart (the seat of one’s emotions). God doesn’t want us to think with our hearts, but he wants us to feel with our hearts. In the book Ezekiel, God through the words of the prophet    promises to administer the much needed heart surgery that his people need.  “I will give you a new heart and I will put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh”. [vs 26]

When someone encounters Jesus and His gospel then it is not some superficial change that we are being called to experience. Rather, an authentic encounter with the risen Christ should bring about a deep and lasting transformation to our inner lives.

Your Minister and Friend,

Andrew