tests to see what is the will of God

[1over137]

Dear friends,

was reading this
Romans 12:2 ESV
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.

Examples on such testing would be much appreciated.

Blessings,
Hana

[SoCalExile]

[1over137]

I may watch this on Sunday, maybe.
Thanks.

[abelcainsbrother]

Dear friends,

was reading this
Romans 12:2 ESV
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.

Examples on such testing would be much appreciated.

Blessings,
Hana

Testing would be testing to make sure you are going by the truth of God's word so that you better understand the will of God.Living in this world we are so influenced by everything around us to not be in the will of God and so we must strive to not be conformed to the world system,but be in the will of God.

I think it also has to do with making sure the doctrine you go by is true and lines up with the word of God also. I know that overtime I have changed my mind many of times when I would discover something new in God's word that went against what I had believed before. I always strive to "Let God be true and every man a liar." I think we all say this as Christians but I will change my mind quick if I find out something I believed was wrong according to God's word. It might take time and you might have to read and study God's word but I would think we should desire to do this as believers. I myself like to discover new things I may have overlooked and because I find it interesting,it is not really a hassle or anything, it is mostly just finding time to do it.

[melanie]

Dear friends,

was reading this
Romans 12:2 ESV
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.

Examples on such testing would be much appreciated.

Blessings,
Hana

Hana it is personal for each of us.
It is the walk, the process of listening and growing within ourselves and the very hard task of being still enough to listen to where God leads us.
Such testing occurs everyday.
But not in the way we think of a test. In that we either pass or fail.
Every test regardless of whether we think we have 'passed' are nothing more than a process of learning. Failure and regret are still part of the fabric of learning. Nothing is worthless, without lesson, or growth.
The key isn't trying to win the test but to learn from it.
The conforming isn't about reaching perfection we can't do that. Listen to the text, discern the will of God which is good and perfect.
Only God is Good, only God is acceptable and perfect.
It's a lesson of trust.
The lesson isn't in the test but in the trust.
And that's the hardest thing really.
In a world of hurt and disappointment, and uncertainty and sickness. He expects nothing more from us than just imperfect, fumbling at times.....Faith
Faith transforms us, sets us apart from the world.
Everyday is struggle of faith.
Even the most secure of us if we were honest would admit that.
Not a struggle necessarily of belief but of faith.
It falters. Some days it's like a mustard seed, centred and strong and others days it's like a house built of straw on a windy day. He's not asking us to be perfect but to hold on.
And to believe He is strong, and He is perfect and He is leading us home. Even when it feels like we are lost.

[abelcainsbrother]

Dear friends,

was reading this
Romans 12:2 ESV
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.

Examples on such testing would be much appreciated.

Blessings,
Hana

Hana it is personal for each of us.
It is the walk, the process of listening and growing within ourselves and the very hard task of being still enough to listen to where God leads us.
Such testing occurs everyday.
But not in the way we think of a test. In that we either pass or fail.
Every test regardless of whether we think we have 'passed' are nothing more than a process of learning. Failure and regret are still part of the fabric of learning. Nothing is worthless, without lesson, or growth.
The key isn't trying to win the test but to learn from it.
The conforming isn't about reaching perfection we can't do that. Listen to the text, discern the will of God which is good and perfect.
Only God is Good, only God is acceptable and perfect.
It's a lesson of trust.
The lesson isn't in the test but in the trust.
And that's the hardest thing really.
In a world of hurt and disappointment, and uncertainty and sickness. He expects nothing more from us than just imperfect, fumbling at times.....Faith
Faith transforms us, sets us apart from the world.
Everyday is struggle of faith.
Even the most secure of us if we were honest would admit that.
Not a struggle necessarily of belief but of faith.
It falters. Some days it's like a mustard seed, centred and strong and others days it's like a house built of straw on a windy day. He's not asking us to be perfect but to hold on.
And to believe He is strong, and He is perfect and He is leading us home. Even when it feels like we are lost.

Hi melanie,great answer.I've noticed you're not around as much,just wanted to say I hope you are doing well.

[Philip]

Melanie: Everyday is struggle of faith.
Even the most secure of us if we were honest would admit that.
Not a struggle necessarily of belief but of faith.
It falters. Some days it's like a mustard seed, centred and strong and others days it's like a house built of straw on a windy day.

Absolutely true! Our faith is constantly tested by our circumstances - which can oftentimes be rather harrowing. On a crisp fall morning, no immediate worries, walking through the woods, with an amazing, deep-blue sky, my faith and sense of peace are just huge. Next day, some grim or difficult issue arises - often in twos or threes - or I become hyper aware of certain sinful struggles and I just wonder how can I stay in God's peace amidst the stresses of life. So, I must have far greater faith in God than in my circumstances, my inadequacy to handle them, or in how I feel about myself - or in how I know myself only too well. I look at myself and simply marvel at how God can tolerate me - how much I must disappoint Him. And yet Scripture shows me that He doesn't view me this way. It tells me to beware what the devil whispers in my ear (of doubt, inadequacy, fear of the future, all that junk). I know God's patience is incredible, His love, despite who and what we are, is beyond our understanding. And so, I must have faith in His love and how He said He views those whom are His, as our feelings can be all over the map. And the devil knows oh so well how to leverage and manipulating our feelings into doubt and lack of faith. At the end of the day, I must constantly remind myself that what God actually tells us in Scripture IS the reality - and not my fleeting and constantly changing feelings as to how I see things in the moment, with my puny human brain and understanding.

[1over137]

I now wonder why the word 'testing' is in the ESV translation.
Greek is here http://biblehub.com/text/romans/12-2.htm

I was confused by it.

Thanks guys for answers.

[Kurieuo]

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you have the ability to distinguish between (test) what is good and acceptable to God.

Philippians 1:9-11 similarly says:

• 9And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; 11having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Adam and Eve showed their hostility to God's will by partaking of the tree, it wasn't so much in the fruit that they ate, but what such represented -- their whole thinking and acceptability of the will of God. "Has God really said..." was questioning God's will. Humanity went against God's will and has been doing so since.

Paul in Romans 8:7 says, "The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so." By nature, without Christ, we feel God's will is bad. I mean just look at those who don't understand Christianity, they know what is best for themselves and think God evil and vindictive. We're just animals, eat, drink, sex, sleep and enjoy life. God's will cuts across that, our pleasures and enjoyments of life, cramps our style, God's will hinders us, is against us. So we need to get rid of religion, get rid of God. God does no good for us, even if any such god/gods exist.

When our minds are renewed however, our whole attitude towards God changes. And far from seeing the will of God as bad, we see that it is good. With the renewal of our minds that comes through Christ, we see matters quite different. See the love that the Creator has for us and desires for others. Only a nonsensical Christian could believe such a thing right? Especially in light of all the bad things that happen in the world.

• 26In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:26-28)

[crochet1949]

I've been listening to Gayle Erwin -- Very well put. We make it so complicated to know what the will of God is. But it isn't really. This guy is Good.