SUMMARY
The gospel concerning God’s redemptive work in Christ implies that the believer will live the new life in Christ in contrast to the old ways of “this world.”
ANALYSIS
After discussing other major themes in his letter, Paul turns at 12:1-2 to ethical matters. He calls upon his readers to live sacrificially to God and to be transformed by “renewing” their minds in light of the gospel of Christ. The believer should not be conformed to the existing “world” (meaning the social, cultural, and spiritual environment in which one lives day-to-day) and its values. Instead, one is to “discern” the good, that which conforms to “the will of God.”
