Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity – Monday

Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. — Romans 12:2.

Dear Christian, hear!  You are no longer a part of the wicked, unbelieving world, which is ever intent upon doing what pleases the flesh.  For you are a child of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  You have learned to know and confide in the wonderful mercy of God to poor sinners through His Son, and the power of that Gospel prompts you to serve God with all your heart.

Now, therefore, “be not conformed to this world.”  Do not demean yourself, as does the world, which is carnal and at enmity against God  and unrestrained in immorality.  Do not take part in the thousands of things the world has invented to gratify the desires of the flesh.  But be “transformed!”  Be changed!  Be different from the wretched world!  And let your transformation be from within.  Be transformed by the daily “renewing of your mind,” remembering every day that you are a child of God.

Therefore, “prove” everything, examine and test everything, but not as hypocrites do.  How do they prove everything?  They prove it to see whether they may do something, or neglect to do something, as the case may be, without being convicted of a manifest sin.  What a carnal mind or attitude this betrays!  Rather institute an altogether different test.  How so?  Always prove or examine what “the will of God” is with regard to the matter in hand.  Always and in every instance inquire “what is that good and acceptable and perfect will” in the sight of God, your dear Father.  Where should you inquire about this?  In the Law of God.  But the believer searches God’s Law, renewed in his mind, transformed in his new man by the operation of the Holy Ghost through the Gospel, to find out what His will truly is.

You, according to your new man, desire to live in accordance with the will of God.  Therefore, while the flesh in us Christians opposes the will of God, we are renewed in the spirit of our mind, in our new man, by the power of the Gospel, to shun what is evil and to cleave to that which is good, truly yearning to do God’s will for Jesus’ sake.

PRAYER – Renew me, O my God, by Thy Holy Spirit through the power of the Gospel!  Daily dispel the darkness of my poor carnal heart and transform it with the light of Thy mercy, that from my whole heart I desire to do Thy good and acceptable and perfect will in everything.  Forgive my sins for Jesus’ sake, as Thou hast done in Him from eternity, and preserve me in the saving faith that gratefully clings to that forgiveness.  And grant me, for Thy mercy’s sake, to love Thee more and more because Thou didst love me first, and, as the fruit of my faith, to love Thee all the more, and to do Thy will ever more perfectly to the praise of Thy grace.  Amen.

Renew me, O eternal Light, and let my heart and soul be bright,

Illumined with the light of grace that issues from Thy holy face.

Create in me a new heart, Lord, that gladly I obey Thy Word,

and naught but what Thou wilt desire; with such new life my soul inspire.

Hymn 398, 1. 3.