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

And – How many times have you heard this verse? Dozens, I’ll bet, but we often miss the connection in this verse. It is not a stand-alone declaration of spiritual progression. It is tied to something else – the part that comes before the “and”. Without the connection, the rest of Paul’s exhortation isn’t effective.

kai in Greek is such a simple word. Obviously, it’s used thousands of times. Nevertheless, its frequency doesn’t not mean it is not important. In this verse, it’s vital. We will never be transformed unless we take the first step and the first step is not found in this verse.

What’s the first step? “Present your body a living sacrifice.” Ah, now we see why Paul speaks about the renewing of your mind in this verse. He has already covered the sacrifice of your body in the previous verse. The two are tied together. Paul is not endorsing a separation of the mental and the physical (a Greek dichotomy). He is being a good Hebrew. Mind and body are one. If you won’t sacrifice your body, you cannot renew your mind.

Oh, darn (or something stronger)! It would have been so much easier to separate body and mind. It would have been so convenient to take the mental-spiritual route and focus my religious attention on my thoughts instead of my deeds. That’s what I really want (says the yetzer ha’ra). Just let me contemplate the divine, improve my spiritual intuition and revel in the wonder of the words. But don’t ask me to give up my bodily desires. Don’t ask me to put my behavior on the altar. I don’t mind giving God my mind as long as I can hang on to what I do with my body. Being a “carnal” Christian is a pretty good deal. It allows me to have it both ways.

Of course, that little obnoxious word kai ruins everything. If I am going to experience transformation, if I am going to know what it means to renew my mind, then I must sacrifice my body first. Obedience comes before knowledge. Sacrifice before renewal. There is no spiritual development in mind only. If you aren’t experiencing daily delight in the Spirit, look first to the body. You might find something that didn’t get placed on the altar.

Topical Index: body, mind, renewal, sacrifice, Romans 12:2, kai