TRANSFORMED

ROMANS 12:2 “AND BE NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD; BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, THAT YOU MAY PROVE WHAT IS THAT GOOD, AND ACCEPTABLE, AND PERFECT WILL OF GOD.” (KJV, NKJV)
     “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (NIV)
     “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (NASB, ASV, ESV)
     “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how his ways will really satisfy you.” (TLB)



      Americans love a good transformation story! You can’t say the word “transformers” without everyone below the age of forty knowing that you are talking about a bunch of alien robots that transform themselves at will from a really great looking motor vehicle into a super-powerful, living robot.

      As far as I can tell though, there is nothing new to our fascination with stories like this. In my childhood days, we all knew of Clark Kent and how he could run into a nearby phone booth and emerge in seconds as a transformed super hero, “Superman!” He was “faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.” We all wanted to be Superman.

      Notice the implications in the fantasies we all grew up with. Heroes transformed themselves, they all seemingly had super powers and the really great ones were always on the side of “truth, justice, and the American way.” We wanted to be like them. I can remember running around with my own cape, pretending to fly and righting wrongs with my super powers.

      I find it funny that we choose not to put on these super powers when it comes to living a life that demonstrates what Paul (and the Holy Spirit) call us to from Romans 12:1.

      “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God!” Right! Give me my super-Christian cape right now. Unfortunately, that goal might seem so high that we might not even try to live it but merely see it as an unattainable goal. Most of the time, we aren’t even motivated by many of the great heroes of the faith because we see their demonstrated sacrifices and victories as so great we could never achieve them ourselves. Does that speak to you?

      Paul says to every Christian in this verse, “you can achieve that ‘good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God!’” But to do so, you need to run into the phone booth, emerge with those super powers and go forth to “run through a troop” and “leap over a wall.” (Read 2 Samuel 22:30 and Psalm 18:29) And, whether we think we can do it or not, Paul tells us to just do three things: Don’t conform, be transformed and renew your mind!

      “Be not conformed to this world!” Seems easy to say, maybe even to conceive. But so few actually demonstrate it and bring it to power.

      From early age we are taught it is best to “fit in.” Although it is true that as a culture we are better when we learn to get along and sometimes accept compromises in what we personally want for the sake of others, that can quickly turn into an attitude that I must always conform to the ways of the world or the world will not accept me. Paul, and the Holy Scriptures of the Bible quickly tell us that we can know when the world is wrong. And we should choose the narrower pathway of disagreeing with the world and refusing to conform to their directions and dictates.

      While attending the Air Force Academy, I was strongly taught during four years of discipline that I should always obey the commands of my commanders. So, you can see why it surprised us, that during a Saturday morning training session, shortly toward the end of the Vietnam War, we were all forced to attend a class on times when we might have to choose not to obey commands.

      An over-zealous lieutenant had led his troops into a small town in Vietnam and commanded that those under his command destroy the village and kill all of its 22 unarmed inhabitants. He was sentenced to life in prison for those commands and his actions but spent merely three years on house arrest for those murders. But we suddenly realized that age old truth that a little power can cause some to take immoral actions that should be resisted and even disobeyed.

      This was not a new truth. Just look at Adolph Hitler just thirty years earlier and more leaders than can be counted who were absolutely sure of their truth and demanded unconditional obedience by those they led. Satan has worked through the lives of many men and women who ultimately demanded that those following them conform to their world view. Paul says, “Be NOT conformed to this world.”

      We were instructed during those classes shortly after this incident that there might be times when someone might give an “immoral” order, and it was very possible that the only right action might be to not obey that command. How’s that for putting a lot of pressure on young twenty year olds!

      As Christians, we MUST learn how to NOT conform to the world, because the world is often WRONG. Our current environment of “counter culture” is a perfect example. We are told that someone who knows far more than we do has the right to determine what is right and what is wrong, what is acceptable behavior and what is unacceptable, even which words we are allowed to use and demand that we conform to those ideas and principles or be rejected by society as bigoted, intolerant and unacceptable.

      Does this sound like Satan to you? It does to me. And Paul warns us, Do NOT conform to the world! Just the opposite, he tells us BE TRANSFORMED! That means change. Change from what is wrong to what is right. Go into the phone booth a weakling and emerge a transformed, powerful agent of God. But what must happen in the phone booth? A change of clothes won’t do the trick. Putting on a costume and pretending to be greater isn’t the answer. How does Paul tell us to be transformed?

      We must be transformed “By the RENEWING of our mind!” There is no pill that when taken gives us super powers. It isn’t the change of clothes, even if we try to wear a cape. (The cape didn’t stop me from breaking a leg when I jumped off the roof to ‘fly.’) There is no magic word or phrase like “SHAZAAM” that causes me to have a renewed mind. There is only the Word of God and His power through the Holy Spirit that can transform me and make me live like He wants me to live.

      In case you doubt the power of the Word to help us renew our mind, read the rest of Paul’s words in Romans 12. We need to think soberly. We need to function in the body of Christ. Use the gifts that have been given to you! Love without hypocrisy, abhor evil, cling to what is good, express brotherly love. The list from Paul goes on and on. And each expression is another tool for us to use to renew our minds, allow us to not conform to the world and help us to transform!

      There is a whole lot of power Paul packed into Romans 12. Read it today. Start to apply those truths to your life. By memorizing Romans 12:1-2 and quoting it to yourself frequently you will remind yourself that we are called to be transforming agents in the world…not only of ourselves but of our families, our church groups and in the end, the entire world.

      We should admire the many heroes of our faith. They did great things. But we should never think that the Lord does not want us to do the same. The Lord has given us not only the command but also the ability to present our bodies as living sacrifices, to not conform to the world, to be transformed every day, and to do so, through the Holy Spirit by renewing our minds. Every day! In the end, just like Paul says in Romans 12:21, we will be “not overcome by evil, but will overcome evil with good.” Sounds like a transformed life to me Super Man. What is stopping you? Questions to ponder: What is your spiritual kryptonite that causes you to be conformed instead of transformed? What internally causes us all to admire those whom history records as having done great things for God but yet makes us think we could never be the same? Read about the lives of Bonhoffer, Livingstone and Wesley. Read about the Heroes of the Faith in Hebrews 11. Why is conforming to the world so easy and transforming so hard? Does it seem impossible to please God? Look at the solution in Hebrews 11: 6. How does being transformed by the renewing of our minds help us prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God? What is that perfect will in your life? Other Scriptures to Consider: 2 Samuel 22:30 and Psalm 18:29 “For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have leaped over a wall.” What are your troops that you need to run through? What walls does God have for you to leap? Hebrews 11:1-40 “God has planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” Hebrews 12:1-3 Run YOUR race! Throw off what hinders you. Fix your eyes on Jesus!