Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
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.”
When you were young, was there someone who you always tried to be like? I think that this is probably something that nearly all of us have done as children. Trying to be like your favorite TV character or superhero, dressing like them, acting like them, talking like them. Whatever it is that they did you copied and did as well. This kind of comparison is kind of what it means to “conform”.
The dictionary definition of the word conform is “to behave in the manner of others, especially as a result of social pressure. To be in accordance with a set of specifications or regulations, or to make similar in form or nature.”
Take a look at a car dealership sometime, and look at all of the cars in the lot. For the most part, the large majority of the cars will look pretty much the same. They will vary in color and maybe a few small cosmetic differences, but they will still look mostly the same. Truck after truck, sedan after sedan, of the same makes and models, just maybe different colors. This is because that is what the normal person will buy. But many times, right at the very front of the main building, they will have one car that stands out drastically from all of the others. It may be an expensive sports car, or a special off road vehicle outfitted with gigantic oversized tires, and this vehicle is nothing like all of the others. It is different. It “stands out.”
Christians need to “stand out” from the rest of the world. They need to be different from what the world deems to be standard, or normal. Not in a “weird” or “bizarre” sort of way, but in the actions and life that they live. A Christian needs to un-conform themselves from the sinful, ungodly way that the world lives. Not everyone grows up in a Christian household and learns from God’s Word at an early age, and I will guess that most Christians were once caught up living in the world, affected by it’s influences and philosophies. It is this worldly influence that needs to be changed in one’s life. Un-conformed from the world, and then transformed into something different.
If something has been transformed it has had its appearance greatly changed. Its condition, function, nature, disposition, or character is completely different from what it was previously. It has been converted.
We need to renew our mind. We need to change our way of thinking from the ways of the world to the ways of Jesus. Where once we submitted our bodies to doing evil to others, now we do good, and love. Once we may have lied, but now we speak the truth. In all things we need to base our life on the teachings of Christ, and not of the world.
2 Corinthians 5:14-17 “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
I was in one of our sheds the other day, and I noticed a spider on the wall. I stared at it for a while because it was rather large, but the longer that I stared at it I realized that it wasn’t actually a spider at all, but was instead the old shell/skin of a spider that it had shed. It’s old skin was just that, small and old, and when it had shed it’s old skin the spider left it behind, which is exactly what we need to do with our sins. We need to leave them behind, and become transformed in Christ.
Don’t be like the world. Don’t conform to the world and its ways. Be transformed, and changed into the ways of Christ.
In Christ
Andrew
(Andrew is no longer a part of this ministry, as he purposely lied, deceived me, and then betrayed me. These actions were done willfully and with intent. Although many of these writings are helpful, he completely abandoned this calling, and joined up with the world instead. Nothing can dictate Our lives more than a love for Christ Jesus and being chosen to His service, but he chose to love the world instead.)
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 