Know: Understand that the renewal of the mind is a reciprocal relationship between the believer and God.
Feel: Sense a growing awareness in his or her day-to-day life about ways to better follow the will of God.
Do: Identify how God is directing him or her to live and choose to act, based on that direction.
Learning Outline:
Know: How God Renews the Believer’s Mind
Who is responsible for the renewal of the believer’s mind? B Is the renewal of the mind an active or passive process? Explain. C What role does faith play in the renewal of the mind?
Feel: A Better Awareness of the Will of God
When have you experienced a new spiritual understanding? Share what that understanding meant to you.
Describe a time when you became convicted about a change you needed to make in your patterns of thinking and living.
Do: Identify God’s Will and Act on It.
What has God been convicting you about lately that is not in line with a pattern of godly living? How can you act on this conviction?
Which spiritual gift do you identify with? How can you use this gift for God?
Summary: This lesson will help students understand the reciprocal nature of renewing their minds as they progressively surrender them and their activities to God as living sacrifices. God will then empower them to think, feel, and act according to His will.
Learning Cycle
STEP 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: Romans 12:2
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: We must fully surrender our lives as living sacrifices to God. It is only then that the Spirit will enable us to renew our minds and actions to reflect God’s will for our lives.
Just for Teachers: Help your class to realize that living according to the will of God, instead of the pattern of the world, requires an active surrender from us and the ongoing, interactive renewal of the Holy Spirit. Righteousness by faith is still a process of entire renewal, from first to last, until glorification. It cannot be emphasized too much that this amazing transformation of our minds and hearts will always be empowered by the Spirit of God.
Opening Discussion: The first two steps of the well-known “Twelve Step” process in addiction recovery can help us to understand what it means to be transformed by the renewing of our minds from the patterns of the world, empowering our lives to testify to the will of God.
The first step is to admit that you have a problem with the addiction you’re facing. The second step is to recognize that you need help from a higher power in order to overcome your addiction.
This recognition is a much more difficult process than we might realize. One might be willing to admit that he or she is sinful in general. But to be able to admit that we have a particular problem in our lives is much harder.
In college, Cory didn’t want to admit that his particular addiction was anything more than a “stress reliever.” God had to convict him otherwise. Once he was convicted and had fully admitted that he had a problem, Cory simply needed to take action to remove that addiction from his life. He needed strength from beyond himself to be able to do it. Cory has never taken a more difficult walk in his life than the Spirit-led march down the dorm hallway to his room to throw his substances into the nearby dumpster.
Physiologically we know that we form neuropathways or patterns in our minds for every action we take. These pathways are all the more enforced when tied to a chemical substance, even if it is just the chemicals in our own brains. We quite literally need to be transformed by the renewal of our minds.
Questions for Discussion:
Is there a class member who might be willing to share his or her experience of overcoming or struggling with an addiction? If he or she is willing, invite this person to give his or her testimony.
Tell about a time you were able to form a new positive habit in your life.
STEP 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: Encourage your class to think about the ways in which believers, as active participants in the salvation process, can surrender their lives to God.
Bible Commentary
Introduction: Do a brief overview of Romans 12 with your class. There are two commands in Romans 12:1, 2. The first is a command for believers to do something active—to present themselves “as living sacrifice[s].” The second command is for the believers to allow something to happen to them, to “be transformed by the renewing of [their] mind[s].” The rest of chapter 12 and the following chapters then give practical and ethical examples of how the new pattern of thinking will be lived out.
Consider This: Why is it that believers are often happy to do the intellectual thing but reluctant to take the logical, but practical, “next step”?
I. The Active Surrender of the Believer (Review Romans 12:1, 2 with your class.)
The first command in Romans 12:1 is for believers to do something active. They are to present themselves as living sacrifices to God. In this sentence, the verb “present” is in the imperative mood in the Greek, which is the command word form. In other words, Paul is not giving the believers an option here; they must surrender their lives as living sacrifices, as their spiritual act of worship. The description of the sacrifice as being “living” reveals the active nature of the verb. It underlines the fact that the believer is not a sacrificial animal that has been slain and passively placed upon the altar, but rather it is an active participant who lays down his or her own selfish agenda in order to follow the will of God.
Consider This:
What does it mean specifically for you to present yourself as a living sacrifice?
How can you actively surrender your life to the will of God?
II. The Action of God to Transform the Believer (Review Romans 8:5–9 with your class.)
The second command given by Paul in Romans 12 is found in verse 2: “be transformed” (NKJV). This command, however, is in the passive voice rather than in the active voice. This means that this command is something that is to be acted out upon the believer. Often in Scripture, when there is a passive verb without an antecedent doing the action, it is called a divine passive. Thus, the one who is doing the action is God. In this context, Romans 12:2 is clearly a case for the divine passive.
The believer is to “be transformed” by the renewing of his or her mind so that he or she no longer conforms to the patterns of the world. This renewal of the mind takes us back to Romans 8, in which we learn that the mind that is focused on the flesh results in death, but the mind that is focused on the Spirit produces life and hope. The renewal of the mind in chapter 12 is, therefore, a reference to the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of the believer. After we actively have surrendered our lives as living sacrifices to God, by choosing to dwell on the things of the Spirit, God then takes the active role of transforming us through the renewal of our minds. This results in a cooperative, friendly relationship with God.
Discussion Questions
If we are the ones who choose what we think, how can God be the One to renew our minds?
Describe an experience when the Holy Spirit reminded you of something from Scripture that helped you to change your pattern of thinking.
III. The Ethics of a Renewed Mind (Review Romans 12:3–8 with your class.)
After Paul gives the two commands at the beginning of Romans 12, he then goes on to describe, through ethical examples, how the pattern of the believer’s life is transformed. One example is for the believers not to think too highly of themselves but rather to recognize their corporate identity. This directive is seen in the metaphor of the body of believers who have been given a certain portion of grace, a spiritual gift, with which to serve the church and the mission of God through the church to the world. To emphasize the passive side of being transformed by God, it is clear that these gifts have been given by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4–11), not earned; rather, they have been received by faith. Another example is to show love for others by being sincere because of a spiritual fervor (“fervent in spirit”) for serving the Lord (Rom. 12:11, NKJV). Being “fervent in spirit” is another reminder that it is God who is transforming us. Paul’s use of “spirit” as a modifier means this fervor is given or empowered by the Holy Spirit. In the same way, the “spirit” is the agent who creates a longing for adoption in the heart of every believer, as described in Romans 8:22, 23.
Consider This:
What other ethical examples of a transformed life do you see in Romans 12 and 13?
In what ways has your faith changed the way that you treat other people?
STEP 3—Apply
Just for Teachers: The active process of surrendering our lives as living sacrifices to God’s plans is a moment-by-moment process for the believer. Help your class to think about the everyday moments during which they can surrender their thoughts to the Holy Spirit’s renewal of their minds. Draw out specific examples from their own lives to which the application of the Spirit-inspired Scriptures can make a difference.
Application Questions:
Can you describe a moment from your life last week when you chose (or could have chosen but didn’t) to surrender your thoughts to God and think in a renewed way?
What direction from Scripture helped you (or could have helped you) to know how to think or what to do in that situation?
What is your takeaway from today’s study? How can it specifically make a difference in your life?
STEP 4—Create
Just for Teachers: You will need a poster board or whiteboard and markers for this activity. It would also be helpful to print out a picture of a brain and glue it on the poster board or draw it on the whiteboard beforehand. (You could do this activity by drawing this illustration on the ground with chalk or a stick if you do not have access to the aforementioned supplies. Or, in the event that neither poster board or an area to draw on are available, proceed to the activities below and discuss them without visual aids.)
Activities:
Brainstorm and write various examples of “sinful thoughts” on a poster board surrounding a picture of a brain.
Brainstorm and write examples of renewed thoughts in a different color for each sinful thought written on the board.
Add a verse from Scripture that supports each renewed thought.
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Key Text: Romans 12:2
The Student Will:
Learning Outline:
Summary: This lesson will help students understand the reciprocal nature of renewing their minds as they progressively surrender them and their activities to God as living sacrifices. God will then empower them to think, feel, and act according to His will.
Learning Cycle
STEP 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: Romans 12:2
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: We must fully surrender our lives as living sacrifices to God. It is only then that the Spirit will enable us to renew our minds and actions to reflect God’s will for our lives.
Just for Teachers: Help your class to realize that living according to the will of God, instead of the pattern of the world, requires an active surrender from us and the ongoing, interactive renewal of the Holy Spirit. Righteousness by faith is still a process of entire renewal, from first to last, until glorification. It cannot be emphasized too much that this amazing transformation of our minds and hearts will always be empowered by the Spirit of God.
Opening Discussion: The first two steps of the well-known “Twelve Step” process in addiction recovery can help us to understand what it means to be transformed by the renewing of our minds from the patterns of the world, empowering our lives to testify to the will of God.
The first step is to admit that you have a problem with the addiction you’re facing. The second step is to recognize that you need help from a higher power in order to overcome your addiction.
This recognition is a much more difficult process than we might realize. One might be willing to admit that he or she is sinful in general. But to be able to admit that we have a particular problem in our lives is much harder.
In college, Cory didn’t want to admit that his particular addiction was anything more than a “stress reliever.” God had to convict him otherwise. Once he was convicted and had fully admitted that he had a problem, Cory simply needed to take action to remove that addiction from his life. He needed strength from beyond himself to be able to do it. Cory has never taken a more difficult walk in his life than the Spirit-led march down the dorm hallway to his room to throw his substances into the nearby dumpster.
Physiologically we know that we form neuropathways or patterns in our minds for every action we take. These pathways are all the more enforced when tied to a chemical substance, even if it is just the chemicals in our own brains. We quite literally need to be transformed by the renewal of our minds.
Questions for Discussion:
STEP 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: Encourage your class to think about the ways in which believers, as active participants in the salvation process, can surrender their lives to God.
Bible Commentary
Introduction: Do a brief overview of Romans 12 with your class. There are two commands in Romans 12:1, 2. The first is a command for believers to do something active—to present themselves “as living sacrifice[s].” The second command is for the believers to allow something to happen to them, to “be transformed by the renewing of [their] mind[s].” The rest of chapter 12 and the following chapters then give practical and ethical examples of how the new pattern of thinking will be lived out.
Consider This: Why is it that believers are often happy to do the intellectual thing but reluctant to take the logical, but practical, “next step”?
I. The Active Surrender of the Believer (Review Romans 12:1, 2 with your class.)
The first command in Romans 12:1 is for believers to do something active. They are to present themselves as living sacrifices to God. In this sentence, the verb “present” is in the imperative mood in the Greek, which is the command word form. In other words, Paul is not giving the believers an option here; they must surrender their lives as living sacrifices, as their spiritual act of worship. The description of the sacrifice as being “living” reveals the active nature of the verb. It underlines the fact that the believer is not a sacrificial animal that has been slain and passively placed upon the altar, but rather it is an active participant who lays down his or her own selfish agenda in order to follow the will of God.
Consider This:
II. The Action of God to Transform the Believer (Review Romans 8:5–9 with your class.)
The second command given by Paul in Romans 12 is found in verse 2: “be transformed” (NKJV). This command, however, is in the passive voice rather than in the active voice. This means that this command is something that is to be acted out upon the believer. Often in Scripture, when there is a passive verb without an antecedent doing the action, it is called a divine passive. Thus, the one who is doing the action is God. In this context, Romans 12:2 is clearly a case for the divine passive.
The believer is to “be transformed” by the renewing of his or her mind so that he or she no longer conforms to the patterns of the world. This renewal of the mind takes us back to Romans 8, in which we learn that the mind that is focused on the flesh results in death, but the mind that is focused on the Spirit produces life and hope. The renewal of the mind in chapter 12 is, therefore, a reference to the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of the believer. After we actively have surrendered our lives as living sacrifices to God, by choosing to dwell on the things of the Spirit, God then takes the active role of transforming us through the renewal of our minds. This results in a cooperative, friendly relationship with God.
Discussion Questions
III. The Ethics of a Renewed Mind (Review Romans 12:3–8 with your class.)
After Paul gives the two commands at the beginning of Romans 12, he then goes on to describe, through ethical examples, how the pattern of the believer’s life is transformed. One example is for the believers not to think too highly of themselves but rather to recognize their corporate identity. This directive is seen in the metaphor of the body of believers who have been given a certain portion of grace, a spiritual gift, with which to serve the church and the mission of God through the church to the world. To emphasize the passive side of being transformed by God, it is clear that these gifts have been given by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4–11), not earned; rather, they have been received by faith. Another example is to show love for others by being sincere because of a spiritual fervor (“fervent in spirit”) for serving the Lord (Rom. 12:11, NKJV). Being “fervent in spirit” is another reminder that it is God who is transforming us. Paul’s use of “spirit” as a modifier means this fervor is given or empowered by the Holy Spirit. In the same way, the “spirit” is the agent who creates a longing for adoption in the heart of every believer, as described in Romans 8:22, 23.
Consider This:
STEP 3—Apply
Just for Teachers: The active process of surrendering our lives as living sacrifices to God’s plans is a moment-by-moment process for the believer. Help your class to think about the everyday moments during which they can surrender their thoughts to the Holy Spirit’s renewal of their minds. Draw out specific examples from their own lives to which the application of the Spirit-inspired Scriptures can make a difference.
Application Questions:
STEP 4—Create
Just for Teachers: You will need a poster board or whiteboard and markers for this activity. It would also be helpful to print out a picture of a brain and glue it on the poster board or draw it on the whiteboard beforehand. (You could do this activity by drawing this illustration on the ground with chalk or a stick if you do not have access to the aforementioned supplies. Or, in the event that neither poster board or an area to draw on are available, proceed to the activities below and discuss them without visual aids.)
Activities: