Renewal of the Mind (2)
A Sermon on Romans 12:1-2
Originally preached Dec. 3, 1965
Scripture
1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove …
Sermon Description
The purpose of the incarnation, the cross, and the resurrection is not to merely have individuals escape hell. The Christian will miss the glory of the person and work of Christ if they reduce salvation to fire insurance. In this sermon on Romans 12:1–2 titled “Renewal of the Mind (2),” regeneration, or new birth, is being transferred out of the kingdom of darkness, and transferred into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. This is what it means to be a Christian – God creates a new humanity. The Christian has new thoughts, new attitudes, and a new outlook on life. In short, their mind is changed. As the apostle Paul says succinctly, the Christian has a renewal of the mind. One misses the message of the entire New Testament if they miss the apostle Paul’s teaching in this passage. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds how important Paul’s teaching is to the Christian life. As pilgrims on the journey, Christians say to themselves day by day, “I no longer belong to the darkness; I am of the people of God. I am of His kingdom.” By reminding themselves of these things, they view God, themselves, the world, and time itself in a completely different way. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones applies one of the most profound teachings on the doctrine of sanctification.
Sermon Breakdown
- The Christian life is not about following a set of rules or laws. It is about being transformed in our thinking and understanding our new identity in Christ.
- We must renew our minds by acquainting ourselves with the truth of God's Word, understanding it, and applying it to our lives. This takes effort on our part.
- We must remember that as Christians, we have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of God's Son. We are new creations with a heavenly citizenship.
- We must see ourselves, others, and the world differently now that we are in Christ. We should have compassion for unbelievers and see them as lost sheep without a shepherd.
- We must live in light of our eternal destiny and the coming judgment. We must purify ourselves and be ready for Christ's return.
- We have no time to waste conforming to the world. We must wake up, cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light.
Sermon Q&A
How Does Lloyd-Jones Explain "Be Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind"?
What does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teach about "the renewing of your mind" in Romans 12:2?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, "the renewing of your mind" means that Christians must actively transform their thinking patterns in light of their new identity in Christ. He explains: "The Christian, unlike everybody else, never starts with a particular problem... The Christian must always start with himself, as he is a new man in Christ Jesus." This renewal is a positive, deliberate effort requiring Christians to acquaint themselves with biblical truth, understand it deeply, and constantly apply it.
How does Lloyd-Jones contrast the Christian and non-Christian approach to moral problems?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that non-Christians approach moral problems starting with the problem itself, while Christians approach problems by first understanding their new identity. He states: "All moral systems know nothing about that, because they can't. They're not new men, and they don't believe in the new birth. So they start and end with the problems. The Christian doesn't." The Christian approach is "never negative... never small and it is never fearful" but rather "always positive and it's always big, and it's always glorious."
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the main goal of salvation according to Romans 12?
Lloyd-Jones identifies that "the real, ultimate objective in the incarnation, and all that followed was the production of a new humanity, a new race of people." He explains that God's purpose isn't merely forgiveness but transformation: "The object of the New Testament is not to produce a reformation of behavior, but a transformation of character." As he puts it, Christians have been "translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear son" and should live accordingly.
How does Lloyd-Jones explain the relationship between our mind's renewal and our ultimate destiny?
Lloyd-Jones connects mind renewal to our eternal destiny, emphasizing that we should think in light of where we're headed. He quotes Philippians 3:20-21: "We are looking for the savior who shall come from heaven, and who, when he comes, will change this, the body of my humiliation, and fashion it like unto his glorious body." He argues that keeping our destiny in mind transforms our approach to present problems: "The moment I keep these things in my mind and they govern my thinking, it changes my attitude to every particular problem."
What practical steps does Lloyd-Jones suggest for renewing the mind?
Lloyd-Jones outlines several practical steps for mind renewal: 1. Acquaint yourself thoroughly with biblical truth 2. Work to understand that truth deeply 3. Constantly apply the truth to daily situations 4. Remind yourself regularly of your new identity in Christ 5. Consider your ultimate destiny and live in its light 6. View yourself, others, and the world from this new perspective
He warns that we "become creatures of habit" and must deliberately "pull [our minds] out, as it were, and direct it in the other way."
According to Lloyd-Jones, why do Christians struggle with conforming to the world?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that Christians conform to the world primarily because they forget who they are. Quoting Peter, he explains: "You're foolish. You're blind. You can't see afar off. You've forgotten what's happened to you." He emphasizes that "to conform to the world is not only to forget all these glorious things which we claim to believe, but it is also at the same time to contradict them." Christians must actively remember their identity and destiny to avoid slipping back into worldly patterns of thought.
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.