Conformed Or Transformed

CONFORMED OR

TRANSFORMED?

ROMANS 12:2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 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.

Michelangelo described the art of sculpture as the making of men. He said that his role was to simply free men and women from the prison of stone. Instead of trying to fashion the image of a man from stone, he chiseled away the excess stone which kept the image hidden. He had the ability to look at a piece of marble and envision the great works of David, the Pieta, Moses and the Bacchus.

In a very real way, this illustrates the primary work of the Holy Spirit in human experience – the making of men and women in the image of Christ. Originally, we were created in the image of God. Sin marred the image. Christ came to redeem us from our sins and restore us in his image and likeness. The Holy Spirit lives in the believer’s heart, transforming him or her from glory to glory.

I.                  Be Not Conformed to the Pattern of This Word.

A.   From decision to dedication

1.     Paul’s primary concern here is that we follow up on our decision for Christ with dedication to Him.

2.     The threat to dedicated living is the world.

B.   Conformed or Fashioned

1.     Comes from suschematizesthai, the root of which is schema, which means the “outward form varies from day to day, or season to season.

2.     Paul is saying, “Don’t try to match your life to all the fashions of this world.”

II.               Be Transformed. Here is the good news – if you do not like the person you are, you can be changed by the grace of God!

A.   The word transformed (metamorphoo) means “to change into another form.”

1.     The only other uses of the word in the N.T. are in Matthew 17:2, for the Transfiguration of Christ, and II Corinthians 3:18, where Paul describes the transformation of believers into the image of Christ.

2.     True worship results in the ongoing change of the true person, the inward personality.

B.   The process of transformation is the renewing of your mind.

C.   The goal of transformation is to put into practice the will of God.

1.     Right thinking result in right living.

2.     The will of God speaks of a relationship of intimacy with Him by which we are changed into his image.