Be transformed by the renewal of your mind. – Romans 12:2
Growing up as a pastor’s son, Luis Ruiz learned what it meant to live righteously. But Luis started making poor choices. He walked away from God’s truth, love, and grace, giving into the lusts of his flesh. Luis embraced a homosexual lifestyle and surrounded himself with many false teachers who validated the lies he believed about himself.
On June 11, 2016, Luis was one of 320 people in Pulse, a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that was hosting a “Latin Night.” Suddenly, an assailant armed with a semi-automatic rifle and a pistol opened fire. Fifty people died, including the shooter, and another 53 were injured.
Luis was grateful to be a survivor. But having a near-death experience was his wake-up call! He began to read the Bible and soon embraced Jesus Christ. He asked Him for forgiveness and God’s grace fell upon him and tore the veil over his eyes into two.
Luis said, “While I was searching for men, sleeping around a lot, I didn’t realize that there was a man looking for me. And His name is Jesus. I was able to find a church where they loved me. And they taught me that my identity is not my behavior. My identity was not who I thought it was. But it was as a child of God.”
The Apostle Paul says the Lord has made you holy and pleasing to Himself through a relationship with Christ, not through your works. The gospel is the fundamental truth that keeps you from being conformed to the world. Pray that your nation’s leaders experience transformation by allowing the Holy Spirit to renew, reeducate and redirect their minds.
Today’s Verse: Romans 12:2
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.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: Galatians 2:15-21
15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
