Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:1-2 

When we conform, we go along. When we conform, we refuse to stand out. When we conform, we fold to the external pressure beckoning us to ignore truth and continue to pursue a course of life standard to the culture. But today’s passage reminds us that, as believers, we are not to be conformed to this world. Consider this:

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

                                                                                                                   1 John 2:15-17 

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

                                                                                                                        James 4:4 

Everyone has a choice to make. We can conform to the pattern of this world, making us enemies of God and demonstrating that the love of God is not in us or we can choose to follow God’s blueprint for life. But should we decide the latter, there will be persecution. Consider this: 

If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. 

                                                                                                                     John 15:18-19 

For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign (insult) you…                                                                                   

                                                                                                                   1 Peter 4:3-4 

Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.

                                                                                                            Luke 12:51-53 

These passages remind us that spiritual division is real and when we refuse to conform to this world people will turn on us and sometimes those people will be members of our own family. Insults, gossip, and destructive speech will mark their discussions and our faith in Christ will often be mocked. But we have the opportunity of experiencing something powerful, joyful, and unique. We can be transformed!

This word “transformed” comes from the root in which we get the word “metamorphosis.” This word often causes us to think of a caterpillar changing into a butterfly. It’s hard to imagine how this miracle of nature takes place but it certainly does. What was a limited, slow-moving creature in the caterpillar is now a beautiful butterfly, equipped with wings and the ability to fly. And all of this is because of the transformation that takes place during that remarkable time.

The same is true for our lives. It’s hard to imagine that ordinary people can be spiritually transformed but the reality is, we can be. But spiritual transformation doesn’t just happen. It requires something on our part. Paul says that we are to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” Our spiritual transformation in Jesus is directly linked to our minds. Yes, our hearts must first be changed and this happens at salvation when we receive the Holy Spirit but our daily renewal comes from meditating on the Word of God. Consider this:

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 

                                                                                                                 Hebrews 4:12 

The Bible is living. It contains life and is active to change us from the inside out. Only God’s Word and the power of the Spirit can bring about such spiritual transformation. That is why, just like the Christian faith without evangelism, it is difficult to imagine our spiritual lives without daily time spent in the Word. Scripture is our spiritual food and just like neglecting our physical bodies, neglecting the Word will yield spiritual weakness.

But there is a tremendous promise in our passage that perhaps gets overlooked. Consider Paul’s words:

…but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is…

This word “prove” can be defined as “examining something in order to see whether it is genuine or not.” When we spend regular time with God, examining His Word, and meditating on its truths, we will be able to understand what it is that God desires for us as His children. The Bible is a book of great promise but those promises are only for those who have been spiritually transformed (born again, John 3:3).

Have you undergone the spiritual transformation required for someone to be saved? As a redeemed member of God’s kingdom, are you spending daily time in His Word, effectively renewing your mind? Let’s not conform rather let’s be transformed!