Be Not Conformed...
I'd like for us to take a look at Romans chapter 12, verses 1 and 2, which are some of the most profound words ever written by the Apostle Paul through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 12:1&2...I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to 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.
Verse 1 begins with Paul's admonition to the church at Rome, and to us as well, as he very passionately implores us that that through God's mercy, we sincerely present ourselves to God just as we are, but ready and willing to be changed by Him, in any way that he sees fit. To be a living sacrifice means that we must give up all of our self, in order to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Our self indulgent impulses, negative thoughts and actions, and self serving tendencies must be brought under subjection to the will of God. We can never lay claim to any holiness of our own, or ever hope to attain it by our own works. However, we must be willing to rid ourselves of anything which might prevent us from becoming all that God would have us to be. This is what is acceptable in His sight, and this is the reasonable service which Paul speaks of. Verse 2 goes one step further by sharing with us how to go about making these changes in our life. First of all, we must not conform ourselves to this world. This would include not only keeping ourselves away from the myriad of evil influences which bombard us on a daily basis, but also means not yielding ourselves to the will or influence of others. Peer pressure can be a very powerful influence not only on young people, but it can also affect people of any age. We all have a desire to fit in, to be popular, but when the desire for worldly acceptance overrides our longing to be what God wants us to be, it becomes a problem. Conformity to this world also includes the desire to have the latest thing, the newest car, the biggest house, or just to have something better than our neighbor has. These are not to be the priorities of a child of God. We are to be content with what we have, knowing that God will supply all of our needs. So, how do we avoid the dangers of conformity? Paul tells us that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. What does he mean by this? God's word constantly renews our minds, and it keeps us in His will. By reading, studying, and meditating on His word, we are transformed into what God would have us to be, and thereby we can prove what the good, and perfect, and acceptable, will of God is for our life.
Romans 12:1&2...I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to 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.
Verse 1 begins with Paul's admonition to the church at Rome, and to us as well, as he very passionately implores us that that through God's mercy, we sincerely present ourselves to God just as we are, but ready and willing to be changed by Him, in any way that he sees fit. To be a living sacrifice means that we must give up all of our self, in order to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Our self indulgent impulses, negative thoughts and actions, and self serving tendencies must be brought under subjection to the will of God. We can never lay claim to any holiness of our own, or ever hope to attain it by our own works. However, we must be willing to rid ourselves of anything which might prevent us from becoming all that God would have us to be. This is what is acceptable in His sight, and this is the reasonable service which Paul speaks of. Verse 2 goes one step further by sharing with us how to go about making these changes in our life. First of all, we must not conform ourselves to this world. This would include not only keeping ourselves away from the myriad of evil influences which bombard us on a daily basis, but also means not yielding ourselves to the will or influence of others. Peer pressure can be a very powerful influence not only on young people, but it can also affect people of any age. We all have a desire to fit in, to be popular, but when the desire for worldly acceptance overrides our longing to be what God wants us to be, it becomes a problem. Conformity to this world also includes the desire to have the latest thing, the newest car, the biggest house, or just to have something better than our neighbor has. These are not to be the priorities of a child of God. We are to be content with what we have, knowing that God will supply all of our needs. So, how do we avoid the dangers of conformity? Paul tells us that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. What does he mean by this? God's word constantly renews our minds, and it keeps us in His will. By reading, studying, and meditating on His word, we are transformed into what God would have us to be, and thereby we can prove what the good, and perfect, and acceptable, will of God is for our life.
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