Dr Paul Allen

Most would have expected to see John 3:16 at the top, but there was Romans 12:2 leading an annual list of the most bookmarked, highlighted, and shared Bible verses. Since smartphones have become ubiquitous, it is now possible for software developers to glean bits of information about what large numbers of people are doing on these devices. It was intriguing to see the list compiled by the popular Bible app YouVersion , now installed on almost two hundred million devices. Romans 12:2 is a frequently discussed verse as we think through new ways to serve Christians who are pursuing a renewed mind. Regarding  Romans 12:2 ; God gives us the revelation of sacred Scripture in order for us to have our minds changed so we begin to think like Jesus. Sanctification and spiritual growth is all about this. If you just have it in your mind and you don’t have it in your heart, you don’t have it. But you can’t have it in your heart without first having it in your mind. We want to have...

If it were not possible to live a holy life, God would not have commanded it. He said, "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy" (Lev. 19:2). To be holy means to be separated to God. God’s nature itself defines holiness. Being set apart to God makes us holy. We are not made holy by doing good things. We are made holy by faith in Christ, Just as we are saved by faith. Little by little, as we grow and live with the Lard we become more like Him (2 Cor. 3:18). As we look to the Lord Jesus, think about Jesus, study about Jesus, pray to Jesus, and seek to follow His example, we become like Him We begin to think like Him and act like Him. We become like Him because we are set apart to Him. This is true holiness. If you are a Christian, ten years from now your life should be considerably different from what it is now. Your motives and desires, as you draw closer to Him should be continuously more holy. Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall se...