TRANSFORMED OR CONFORMED? (1)

TEXT: ROMANS 12:2 

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2).

When something is conformed it outwardly takes the shape or form of whatever has exercised pressure on it without changing the substance of the thing conformed. If pour juice into a cup it conforms to the shape of the cup but it remains juicer. But when something is transformed, it is changed from the inside and it becomes something different to what it was before. The same juice can be transformed by freezing into ice. Transformation can be said to be a period of metamorphosis.

Metamorphosis as defined by dictionary.com is a profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism, as from the caterpillar to the pupa and from the pupa to the adult butterfly. Transformation therefore is the complete change in appearance, character, circumstances, etc.

 Paul says that people can be conformed or they can be transformed (from the inside). Therefore we have two possibilities – transformed or conformed. We can be shaped by the world into its image or by Christ into His image (Romans 8:29). This verse is telling us what God wants from us “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” God does not want us to conform to the image of the world but of His son Jesus Christ.

 Many are transformed by the World and have conformed to the World in their daily living, all they know how to do; and all they are interested in are the things of the world! These are people who are inwardly and outwardly like the world; this is so because they were born into sin. We call these people “unsaved” or “unregenerate”. They are at their core worldly and they don’t try to hide that fact. Consequently their actions, dress, speech, habits, values and lifestyle are worldly. Many of them are living around us.

Another category of people are those transformed by Christ but Conformed to the World. These are people who are born again but they have not allowed Christ to change them inwardly and outwardly. Though they claim to be changed people, but their way of living has no relevance with the Christ they are confessing. They have dual identity, they want to serve God yet they don’t want to let go of worldly things. Their dressing and conversations makes people to doubt if they are really followers of Christ, the scripture refer to them as carnal minds, they find ways to justify their behaviour. In Corinthians Paul gives several examples of carnal behaviour, regrettably, many people in churches fall into this category and it is they, to whom Paul appeals when he says: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2). You cannot be on the fence when serving God, is either you are for God or you are against Him. You cannot serve both God and Mammon, the Lord said in the book of revelation that is either you are hot or cold! Lukewarmness is not an option in the kingdom of God.