START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION
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.
DO NOT CONFORM … BUT BE TRANSFORMED / ROMANS 12:2
Paul brings out several things in this verse:
- There is a very real pressure to conform “to the pattern” of this world and be squeezed into its likeness on many different levels. Christians must firmly resist the temptation to accept and imitate the world’s ways of thinking and behaving.
- The reason we must resist adopting the world’s way is because it is evil (Acts 2:40; Galatians 1:4), it is under Satan’s rule (John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 5:19), it is hostile to God and His people (John 7:7; 15:18-21; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17) and it is built on human wisdom and values (1 Corinthians 1:17-25). The world holds a worldview that Christians cannot accept because it rejects God and His standards (Romans 1:18-32; Colossians 2:8).
- Christ’s kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). This world’s kingdom is full of spiritual darkness, deception, and seduction (Matthew 5:14-16; John 3:19; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 12:9). Christ’s followers are called to be a light in the midst of this darkness (Matthew 5:14-16; Ephesians 5:8-11). Our lives should reflect a positive difference that those in the world cannot help but notice. This includes resisting the temptation to conform to the varied types of worldliness common in society, including greed, selfishness, humanistic thinking, a desire for power, envy, hate, revenge, filthy language, sexual lust and impurity, ungodly entertainment, fashions that are immodest and seductive, substance abuse, relationships that do not honor God and other such things that defy the standards of God’s Word (Ephesians 5:3-16; 1 John 2:15-17).
Instead of conforming to the world’s values and lifestyles, our minds must continually be renewed and transformed (changed) to God’s way of thinking (1 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 2:5). This can only happen as we spend time reading and meditating on His Word (pondering over and over what it means and how it applies to our lives; Psalms 119:11, 148; John 8:31-32; 15:7). This will allow our visions, values, behaviors and plans to be directed by God’s eternal truth, rather than by the world’s temporary and deceptive pattern.
GOD’S WILL
By having a spiritually renewed mind and a transformed life through a growing relationship with Christ, we are able to discern and follow God’s will – His desires, plans and intentions based on His character and purposes. This is His highest and best way of life for us (though not necessarily the easiest). Some mistakenly regard the references to “good, pleasing and perfect” as three levels of God’s will, but this is really a single description of God’s ultimate purpose. God’s will is “good because it leads to a Christian’s spiritual and moral growth. It is “pleasing” to God because it serves His purposes, even though we may not always understand it. It is “perfect” because we cannot improve on God’s will; it is absolutely what is best for us in our relation to fulfilling His purposes.
Bible Study Tools I Use
- NIV Bible
- King James Bible
- www. biblegateway.com
- Map Pencils
- College Ruled Spiral Notebook
- Ballpoint Pens
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