Transformation: From sentience to spirituality by Gary Rose

Romans, Chapter 12 (WEB)

 ² Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Brother Ed Healy posted this on facebook and I am thankful that he did. Thankful, because of the beauty of the picture and the verse from one of my favorite books of the Bible, Romans.  I think that Romans is perhaps the most intellectual book in the Scriptures and as many times as I have read it, I still find myself amazed at the depth of its logic and its merger of intellect and practicality of its insights.

This one verse (12:2) from this wonderful book raises questions: What really is the mind? How is the mind transformed? How is the nature of spirituality, emotion and intellect intertwined? And probably many, many more that I am just too dull to perceive.

When I think of the mind, I recall a word that I first heard from the Sci-Fi series, Star Trek- sentience. My Wordnet program defines it as:

1. awareness, sentience -- (state of elementary or undifferentiated consciousness; "the crash intruded on his awareness")

2. sense, sensation, sentience, sentiency, sensory faculty -- (the faculty through which the external world is apprehended; "in the dark he had to depend on touch and on his senses of smell and hearing")

3. sentience -- (the readiness to perceive sensations; elementary or undifferentiated consciousness; "gave sentience to slugs and newts"- Richard Eberhart)

But what is it really? 

Consider 1 Thessalonians 5:23

²³  May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

I wonder- in this world, can we really separate these things, or are they an integrated composite that links to the Almighty? And if our spirit links to that of our heavenly father, does that mean that our incorporation of the thoughts of God via the Scriptures change us into gods (notice the small g)?  Speaking of that small "g", how about adding the following passage to the mix...

John, Chapter 10

 ³¹  Therefore Jews took up stones again to stone him.  ³² Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?” 

  ³³  The Jews answered him, “We don’t stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 

  ³⁴  Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods?’ (Emp. added GDR)  ³⁵  If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture can’t be broken),   ³⁶  do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’ 

I find myself being unable to answer all of these questions fully, but it seems to me that God's plan for us is to be completely transformed in body, soul and spirit when we see HIM in heaven. 

I know that all this is a lot to consider, but consult the Scriptures yourself and pray about these things, perhaps God will grant you understanding that will amaze you. How? Probably Not like the picture, but in HIS own way, through his WORD and HIS Spirit who dwells in all Christians.

Please feel free to comment, I could use some fresh perspectives....