Turn to the King

In the TURN lesson this week we learned about repentance, in CR the R in “turn” stands for repentance. J.B. Phillips was a servant in the Church of England, and he translated the Bible from its original language for the benefit of his youth group.  

The Phillips translation (PH) of Romans 12:2 reads this way: 

Romans 12:2a (PH)   

2 Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-make you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed.  

This verse teaches us a saving repentance in two parts. First, we are told NOT to approach our challenges the way the world teaches us. Worldly teaching focuses on our ability to understand our problems and fix them. Second, we are told to allow God into our problems so He can “re-make” us into new people. 

The key to this is understanding that we are NOT able to fix our problems, ourselves, or other people. What we ARE able to do is work a program of recovery responsibly. So, we are responsible for our program, God is responsible for the repair of our problems and our lives. 

We don’t ignore our problems; we acknowledge them and turn to God for help. In this process the traditional sense of repentance is observed. The key is turning toward God because in doing so we have automatically and naturally turned away from our sinful behavior. 

On the Road to Recovery, “don’t let the world squeeze you into its mould” (Rom 12:2). Turn to the King for His wisdom is sufficient for all your problems.