Goodmorning and welcome in today. Today we are going to take a look at some scripture from the book of Roman’s but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a story.
A few years ago my family finally got me to agree to purchasing a dog. We had numerous dogs when I was a kid and I wasn’t that keen on getting anymore as an adult, but they finally convinced me. I purchased a very nice male black lab. A few months passed by when the family convinced me again to get a female companion for him. Over the following winter one thing led to another and eventually they had a litter together. There were seven cute black little labs but there was one that was completely different than the rest. It was brown. Every time we took them up on the road to run around and play, the little brown puppy stood out in the group. It was completley different then the rest.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
As a bible believing Christian, we are not supposed to similar to the world and its ways. Like the brown lab, we are supposed to be different from the world. Conform actually means to be similar or identical. Similar means Having traits or characteristics in common; alike, or comparable. Christians are called to be different then others around them.
When a child is born in this world they are going to have similar physical characteristics and features of the parent. When we become a part of the family of God, we need to turn away from the world and its ways and begin to serve Christ Jesus. We need to undergo a change in our hearts and our minds in order to do the will of God. The more you change the more different from the world you will become.
As a Christian you will have different goals in life then those who are living in the world. You will have a different purpose and direction then others around you. When we were living in the world we lived the way the world does. As a Christian we are called to come out and to be separate. It doesn’t mean that we are better than other people, it’s just that we are choosing the way of Christ over the way of the world.
1 Pet 4:3-4
3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
A characteristic is defined as a special quality or appearance that makes an individual or a group different from others. When one begins the Christian walk they are taking on the characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ. Instead of hating others we learn to love. Instead of being unmerciful we learn to show mercy and forgive. God calls us to this new life and way of living.
1 Pet 2:9-10
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
God doesn’t want us to be like the world but examples to the world. He doesn’t want us to live the way the world does, but to go through a transformation through His grace and faith.
Have you ever been subjected to peer pressure when you were in school? Its a feeling that one must do the same things as other people of one’s age and social group in order to be liked or respected by them. When we become a Christian we turn away from trying to please others in the world to please Christ. Instead of doing the will of people around us we choose to do the will of God.
Ephesians 5:17 – Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
God wants us to convert and to change the way that we think. After being raised so many years in the philosophies and the teachings of this world, God wants us to to abandon all these false things that we have learned and learn the way of His precious Son Jesus Christ. A transformation needs to take place in our hearts and minds.
Transform is defined as to change something into something else.
Think about a mechanic who comes home on a Friday after work and they’re full of grease and filth. They take a shower get all cleaned up, put on some nice clean clothes and they take their wife out for dinner. People at the restaurant probably don’t even know that he’s a mechanic because his physical appearance has changed that much. Christianity is very similar to this but the change that happens is within our heart.
Just like a marathon runner is attempting to cross the finish line to win a race, the finish line in the Christian faith is walking in the perfect will of God. In order to do this we have to undergo a change. It’s a change from walking In the flesh in our general carnal nature, to spirituality in Christ. It’s learning to become obedient to the teachings of Jesus Christ rather than following after the ways of the sinful nature.
We prove things by our actions. You can show love for your dad as a child by being obedient to him in everything. True love will result in submission and obedience to those who are your authority. We want to prove our love for the Lord Jesus Christ by obeying His will for each of us. When we choose the path of Christ we are going to come off the wide road of sin onto the narrow path of Christ. We’re going to change and become different than what we used to be. Instead of living as children of darkness, we are called to become children of the light.
True Christians are going to be very different then what you see in the world today. We’re not better than others, we’re just different. It’s not so much in the physical appearance as it is in the characteristics of the heart. We choose to love. We choose to forgive and forget. We choose to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and get forgiven for our sins whos grace is available to all who call upon His name.
I think that’s where I’m going to stop right now but Lord willing we’ll talk to you some more tomorrow. Till then bye-bye everybody♥️
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