Romans 12:2 (NET)
“Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.”
This is such an important verse for our world today, especially for those of us in the Church! It seems as though we are all under the tyranny of conformity (meaning that we are all expected to conform to world views and systems). Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, All Lives Matter, debt, status, politics, abortion, gender identification, marriage, legislation, masks, religion, etc. We see it in the news, we hear it in the rhetoric, and we feel it in our spirit. Everywhere we look people are being either condemned, mistreated, or heralded as a hero because they are taking a stand for what they believe to be their rights/convictions (whether right or wrong). So let’s talk about it from a Biblical perspective, using Romans 12:2 as a guide.
This verse starts with a command, “do not be conformed to the present world”.
Let me define the term “world”; It is the physical world we live in that is under a system of darkness and is operating under the influence of the ruler of the air and spirit that is energizing the sons of disobedience (Eph 2:2) against the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the age that we are presently living in that is temporal and not eternal. This “present world” is literally an “age (αἰών), and throughout the history of the world there have been many “ages” in which the people of God’s kingdom were called to resist its present temptations (e.g. the “worldly temptations in the 14th century were a lot different then our current temptations).
I know that it is tempting to want things that the world has, and to know people the world knows, and to be a part of the things that the world is a part of, but we that know Jesus as Lord are of a different Kingdom and operating system! We are of the system of light, where the world is a system of darkness. I also realize that there are certain things that are unavoidable (i.e. cars, homes, food, etc.), but the way in which we go about attaining such things is going to determine whether or not we are being “worldly” in our acquisition of such things. The material things of this world are not necessarily the issues, it is the heart of the person trying to engage in such things that determines its “worldliness”. Most times, as a good friend of mine says, it is anything that is driven by envy and jealousy that drives a person to worldliness (carnality).
The Bible tells us not to act in carnal (worldly) ways because it is enmity with God (meaning that it is opposing to God), “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh (worldly) cannot please God.” (Romans 8:6-8 KJV). To be carnally minded is to be worldly, and to be worldly is to be ungodly.
The Bible also instructs us on how not to be worldly. In Titus 2:12 it says that we should “reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,”. Self control is a must for resisting the urge to conform. We must be resolved in our convictions!
You may ask, “How do I do that?”
Well, I’m glad you asked because the verse directly before that gives us a clue. Titus 2:11 says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.” So, we can see that the way to escape this world system and its temptations is to be covered by the grace that God has supplied when we came into a personal relationship with Him! Salvation delivers us from the current age and gives us a Kingdom mindset that is aligning with God’s agenda and system. Jesus says in Mark 8:36, “For what benefit is it for a person to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his life?” I believe conformity to the world system to be detrimental to our life because it keeps us from receiving the “full and abundant” life that Jesus told us about in John 10:10.
Ok, so tell me how to protect against conformity to the world.
Well, Romans 12:2 says to be transformed. Transformation as opposed to conformation (or even reformation)! To be conformed is to be shaped by a set of influential forces (e.g. Not believing America to be a racist nation, but then somehow being convinced that it is because of an agenda that has made you believe that you are racist for even saying such a thing as America is nor racist). To be reformed is to take a thought, or ideal, and to change or modify it in order to come up with a new ideal or thought. Transformation is something else entirely. It is to be completely made new. Think of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. It is an entirely new creature! This is what happens to us when we become transformed.
Well, How do I get transformed? Glad you asked!
Transformation happens when Jesus is accepted into a persons life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!” Also in John 3:3, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.(KJV). So,we need to be born again, changed from our original creation, and when we are then we receive that transformation into being a child of God. Once that takes place the Bible says that we are transferred into the Kingdom of His Son’s love (Col. 1:13). We are no longer part of this world, but a part of God’s kingdom! I love the old hymn called, “This World is not my Home”!
Transformation is a direct result of renewing your mind! This takes place when we read the Word of God, come into a relationship with Him, and submit ourselves to Him by faith. We must have a knowledge of who God is and what He has done, and what He expects of us if we are to have any success in resisting conformity to the world. Notice that it says in Romans 12:2 that we are to test and approve what is the will of God. Well, the only way to do that is to understand the will of God, and the only way to understand His will is to read the revelation of who He is – The Bible!
We also have another amazing resource to help with this – the Holy Spirit (John 14:17)! God has implanted Himself into our hearts in the form of the Holy Spirit in order to be our coach and guide through this life. We need to know Him and allow Him to speak to us. Jesus says that He will lead us into all truth (John 16:13), so ask Him in all situations to illuminate truth to you and He will!
As a worshiper it is crucial to resist the urges we have to conform to this present age (Gal 5:17). We need to stay very close to Jesus in these days, be renewed in our minds by spending lots of time with Him in His Word, and recognizing His Spirit’s leading (Gal 5:16).
We also need to have a strong friend base to draw strength from as well. The Church is a grace given to us by God in order to protect us and keep us accountable to the way we are conducting ourselves. Make sure that you are a part of a local body of believers (when I say a part, I mean fully engaged with and growing in your relationships, not just a Sunday morning attender – there’s a difference!).
This is all a part of being transformed and renewed in our thinking, and this is the strongest defense against conformity to this present age!
To the issues listed above (Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, All Lives Matter, debt, status, politics, abortion, gender identification, marriage, legislation, masks, religion, etc.), we need to look at each of these issues through a Biblical, and eternal perspective in order to approach these issues from a transformed and informed (Biblically) mindset. When we do this, we will find it easier to resist the worldly patterns and stay strongly planted on the Biblical pattern of godliness as we make decisions. Be careful not to be driven by your feelings, always be driven by faith and facts, and it will be very difficult for you to conform yourself to anything that is worldly and ungodly. We are of God’s kingdom and our “agenda’s” in life need to reflect that truth!
God bless you!
