Do not conform but be transformed

Uni-verse 154/10,000 Romans 12 v 2
Rom 12:2 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.



We are called not to be conformists but we are called to be transformed. Being conformed means we become conditioned and accept the standards of the world as our conditions. If we want to change our condition, we must first change our mental conditioning. Our minds meaning our intellect, our emotions and our will should be constantly renewed by the Word , by the Holy Spirit and by our own diligence in abiding in and by the Word of God and in being counselled and led by the Holy Spirit. The world's pattern is that what they have is more important than what they do or what they are. The Word's pattern is that what we are is more important than we do and what we have. The will of God is that we mature more and more so that our lives and our character reflects that which is good, acceptable and perfect in His sight.

Believers are God's proof on earth, proof that He exists, proof that He is holy, loving and just and proof that He rewards those who seek Him diligently Proof of the Kingdom of God is how we live it out on earth. Our lives have to reflect holiness, love and justice. In London subways we find the warning ," Mind the gap" to keep commuters from getting hurt. Similarly, we too must mind what is good, acceptable and perfect(GAP). We must act in a way acceptable to all, seek what is good and work towards perfection. We are called not to be violent revolutionaries but peaceful change agents in the contemporary world in which we live.

In forensic investigation, there is a technique called the Superimposition technique where a person's photograph is superimposed upon the picture of a dead man's skull to prove the identity. Similarly, we must superimpose the Word upon the dead influence of the world. The Word gives us templates and standards to follow in our daily walk. When we follow these templates and standards of thought, speech, action and reaction, the identity of God in us is proved or made evident to all. Our work, worship and our witness should begin to conform to the Word.

Prateep V Philip