Do not conform to the pattern of this world
Romans 12:2 - Christianity is not about being a perfect person. It’s about being transformed into a better person through the love of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the saving grace of Jesus.
“Do not conform 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.”
Romans 12:2 NIV
In the four years since Barb and I have been writing devotionals here at Heaven On Wheels, perhaps the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that the Christianity is not about being a perfect person. It’s about being transformed into a better person through the love of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the saving grace of Jesus. That lesson — and how to take it to heart — is perfectly stated in today’s verse, Romans 12:2.
Paul’s Epistle to the Romans is a 16-chapter “How To” manual to the early Christians. While Paul primarily focuses on teaching that salvation comes only through belief in Jesus Christ and not through works (including adherence to the complex system of Jewish laws that sprouted like crabgrass out of the laws given to Moses by God), he also explains why followers of Christ must think differently.
The verse begins with the instruction “Do not conform to the pattern of this world.” This means Christians should not let the popular culture and manner of thinking that dominates the world try to make us conform to some ungodly standard. Instead, Paul advises the Roman Christians to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Those words were as startling and different at the time the letter was written (about 57-58 AD, near the end of Paul’s third missionary trip) as they are today. So how do you “renew your mind?”
Well, you certainly don’t renew your mind by “feeling”, nor does “doing” cause a transformational shift in your life! Let’s explore those two false methods of changing your life.
On Enduring Word, David Guzik describes the life based on feeling:
ii. The life based on feeling says, “How do I feel today? How do I feel about my job? How do I feel about my wife? How do I feel about worship? How do I feel about the preacher?” This life by feeling will never know the transforming power of God, because it ignores the renewing of the mind.
Did you notice that all of those questions are very self-centered — how do I feel? The original readers of this letter from Paul probably asked themselves a lot of similar questions: “How do I feel about being an indentured servant who will never be able to get out of working for my master? How do I feel about moving from my synagogue and these comfortable Jewish rituals and laws, to a religion that my rabbi and neighbors hate?”
Today’s culture wants us to focus on ourselves and our feelings as well: “Am I too fat? What do other people think of my entry-level job? Why can’t I have a fast supercar like my next-door neighbor? Do I follow the “wrong” political party? Am I really a man or woman, or was I arbitrarily assigned that sex at birth? Many popular actors and musicians are gay - will changing my sexual orientation make me more popular or famous?”
The other cultural focus is on “doing”, and this seems to be oddly applicable to religion in our time. From Enduring Word again:
iii. The life based on doing says, “Don’t give me your theology. Just tell me what to do. Give me the four points for this and the seven keys for that.” This life of doing will never know the transforming power of God, because it ignores the renewing of the mind.
Many Christian denominations still place emphasis on doing: Follow a church calendar or liturgy that was put in place well after the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus; sing these familiar old hymns; follow a Bible In One Year reading plan just so you can check it off of your Get-To-Heaven to-do list (without really understanding what you’re reading!).
There is nothing wrong with feeling and doing. God Himself has passionate feelings for His people, and we are encouraged to “Do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). But those are foundations of a Christian life, not the way in and of itself. As Christians, we shouldn’t focus our faith on feeling good or happy, or doing things to make our pastors and church friends approve of us. Instead, the focus needs to be on two things: God’s Truth and God’s Word.
Paul is asking Christians to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Part of that transformation and renewing of the mind is to see the world through the lens of God’s Truth as expressed in God’s Word. Being transformed, we “will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
In this verse and the one preceding it, Paul lays out a blueprint for building a better you through the will of God, the eternal salvation gifted to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ , and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. Enduring Word expounds on this:
d. Prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God: As we are transformed on the inside, the proof is evident on the outside, as others can see what the good and acceptable and perfect will of God is through our life.
i. Paul here explains how to live out the will of God:
· Keep in mind the rich mercy of God to you – past, present, and future (by the mercies of God).
· As an act of intelligent worship, decide to yield your entire self to Him (present your bodies a living sacrifice).
· Resist conformity to the thoughts and actions of this world (do not be conformed).
· By focus on God’s word and fellowship with Him (be transformed by the renewing of your mind).
ii. Then, your life will be in the will of God. Your life will prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
iii. You may know what the good and acceptable and perfect will of God is, but you can’t prove it in your life apart from the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.
Having spent many years in the information technology world, it occurred to me that the Bible is God’s software for human hardware. The more I study it and try to really grasp the meaning and intent of God’s Word, the more it programs my mind to see and interact with the world in the way God wants me to. That is transformation and renewing the mind.
I’ll end this devotional with this short quote from Precept Austin (original author unknown):
Many books can inform,
but only the Bible can transform.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I begin my prayer today by thanking You for Your presence in my life. Help me to present my body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to you, and guide me to not conform to the patterns of the world, but instead be transformed by the renewing of my mind. May my thoughts always reflect Your truth and wisdom, and I ask for Your help in to discern what is good, pleasing, and perfect in Your sight. May each day of my life provide an opportunity for growth in my faith and in understanding of Your will. AMEN.