How to be an instrument in God’s ongoing work of transformation

By Dean Collins

A good letter, a good speech, a good sermon, or a good class lecture might include a summary of the key points the writer, speaker, preacher, or teacher wants their audience to remember.

The apostle Paul seemed to know what many communication experts still teach: repetition matters. I remember taking a graduate class decades ago where the professor said the secret to retention is hearing the message seven times. (But for any preachers out there, please spare us preaching the same sermon seven weeks in a row!)

Rejoice

Paul closes his second letter to the Corinthians with reminders of several topics he had focused on in his writing to the church in Corinth. His list of “to dos” in 13:11 includes:

Rejoice
Aim for restoration
Comfort one another
Agree with one another
Live in peace

From Paul’s other letters (epistles), we know he talks a lot about rejoicing. “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).
“Always be joyful…for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16ff)

Throughout Scripture there are many admonitions about rejoicing, so it is no surprise that Paul opens his final instructions by reminding his readers to rejoice. Paul was and is now a poster child for how to rejoice whether going through persecution, rejection, hunger, stoning, misunderstandings, and on and on. Through it all, Paul was faithful and rejoiced that he was able to suffer for the sake of Christ and his kingdom.

Restore

We should note that Paul’s reminders to aim for restoration and to agree with one another were basically his purpose for writing much of his first and second letters to the Corinthians. Way back in 1 Corinthians 1:10, Paul called for the church family to come to agreement in the Lord and stop behaving in divisive ways in their community of believers. Now, maybe more than a year later, in 2 Corinthians he calls for the same thing. There may have been some progress, but the mission was not complete.

Paul was not advocating that everyone necessarily think the same way about all things, but he was saying that unity and restoration in the church and in the world can be accomplished only by daily taking on the mind of Christ. Consider Paul’s beautiful summary in Philippians 2:5-11 where he says as much: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.”

Renew

In Romans 12 Paul wrote, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

We cannot have the mind of Christ, except by and through the transformation that comes to us when we surrender our lives to Christ. This process continues as we daily ask the Holy Spirit to renew our minds in Christ. When believers are in constant tension and dispute, that is evidence of the lack of spiritual transformation and failure to surrender our minds daily for his renewal.

In tune with the spirit,
involved with each other

Our daily surrender to the mind of Christ will also help us with Paul’s other closing instructions. When we are in tune with the Spirit of God, then offering comfort to one another flows genuinely and naturally. When we daily surrender to God, our will is aligned with his, and we can live at peace with God and with each other.

I am not sure the communication experts are right. Maybe it does take seven times to get something set in our minds so we remember. But I think it is spiritual transformation and daily renewal that makes God’s love, peace, joy, and kindness lead us to unity of mind so we can be instruments of God’s work of transformation now in anticipation of his final restoration when Christ appears.

Father, forgive us when we jump to conclusions, argue and fight with one another, and fail to see and experience what can be ours as we daily renew our minds in Christ. Fill us with your Holy Spirit. Accept our surrender today, and use us to bring comfort, peace, and unity in the places you call us to serve. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your time with God’s Word
2 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭11-12, 14; ‬ 1 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭10; Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬-‭11‬ ‭‬ ‭‭ESV

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
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