Good morning. Today’s Bible verse is Romans 12:2b: “that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Paul now shows us the purpose of a renewed mind.
Renewal is not an end in itself.
- It leads somewhere.
- It produces something.
A renewed mind allows us to “prove”—to discern, to recognize, to test and affirm—what the will of God is for this dispensation.
- Not the will of God for Israel under the Law.
- Not the will of God for the Kingdom program.
- But the will of God for the Body of Christ today.
Paul describes that “will” with three words:
Good.
Acceptable.
Perfect.
These are not three different wills.
- These are three qualities of the same will—God’s gracious purpose for His people in this age.
- A renewed mind sees God’s will as “good”—because the grace of God is benevolent towards His people.
- A renewed mind sees God’s will as acceptable—because the grace of God is well-pleasing toward His people.
- A renewed mind sees God’s will as perfect—because grace accomplishes exactly what God intends for His people.
Dear brothers and sisters, we do not discover God’s will through signs, feelings, or circumstances.
We discern it through a mind shaped by Paul’s doctrine and the Holy Spirit’s work in the lives of God’s people.
A renewed mind understands:
who we are in the Body of Christ,
what God is doing today through the Body,
and how we are called to walk as ambassadors of the gospel of grace.
When the mind is renewed, the will of God becomes clear.
- Not mystical.
- Not hidden.
- Not confusing.
Clear.
Because the Spirit uses truth—rightly divided truth—to light the path of grace.
This is how we “prove”—understand— God’s will in this dispensation: by letting the Word of God renew our thinking until His purposes become the view through which we see everything.
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Ro 12:2b.
Meditation:
Let us thank God for granting us renewed minds through faith in the gospel of grace, enabling us to discern His will. May we learn from Paul that God’s will is good, acceptable, and perfect, and let our renewed minds guide us in walking in the truth revealed by Paul. Amen.
Reflection Question:
How might a renewed mind—anchored in Paul’s teaching and doctrine—bring clarity to understanding the will of God?