Do Not Conform
Text: Romans 12:2
The chameleon is a member of the lizard family. The origin of its name: “Chameleon comes to us, via Latin, from Greek chamaileōn, a combination of ‘chamai’ (‘on the ground’) and ‘leōn’ (‘lion’)—a tribute, perhaps, to the lizard’s fearsome aspect” (merriam-webster.com).
The chameleon is the master of disguise. No matter what environment it is placed in, it will change its color to fit in. However, one of the key aspects of being a Christian is that we should be easily identifiable. But for many, rather than stand out, we would prefer to just blend in with our surroundings.
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. —Romans 12:2 (KJV)
CONFORM
To be conformed means to put on the form, fashion, or appearance of another. This passage means we should not allow the behavior, culture, or lifestyle of what is around us to mold us and make us like it.
Instead, we are to seek help and guidance from God to become more like Him. Paul goes on to speak of the need for a renewal of the mind because we can’t permanently change the outside without also changing the inside.
As King David wrote, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
CONFORMING - The 4 Step Process
During an interview with a group of astronauts, the crew was asked, “What do you think is the single most important key to successful space travel?”
One astronaut offered the following response: “The secret of traveling in space is to take your own atmosphere with you.” —Dr. Raymond McHenry
With the Holy Spirit inside of us, how is it possible that we would “CONFORM” to the ways of this world? It’s really a simple four-step process…
When Daniel and his friends were taken captive by the Babylonians we see this process play out.
1.
The first step in making Babylonians out of the four Hebrew teenagers was isolation from their homeland, family, and friends. The Babylonian strategy was to seize upon their vulnerability once they were separated from all that was familiar. Over time, they would be more likely to abandon their faith and become like the Babylonians.
Being in exile doesn’t harm the Christian. Not being with God’s people does.
Isolation from other believers and immersion into a world of false assumptions make it difficult to maintain your Christian convictions.
2.
The second step was to take these sharp and impressive young men and enroll them in an educational school for three years (vv. 4-5). They needed to be indoctrinated in the ways of the Babylonians—to become experts in the Babylonian language, philosophy, literature, science, history, and astrology. Religion would have been part of the curriculum too.
Worldly indoctrination in our day takes place all the time, through education, entertainment, societal expectations, etc.
Many Christians are unprepared to face the doctrines of a society that believes like:
- faith in God is a personal, private thing with little to no bearing on the public sphere
- all religions are valid paths to discovering one’s own fulfillment
- the purpose of life is to enjoy yourself by finding what makes you happy, over against what family, church, or society tells you
- the human person can be reinvented and recreated in line with whatever identity a person chooses.
3.
The third step was to totally immerse these followers of God into the world of Babylon (v. 5). They would need to change their minds and their lifestyle, to eat and drink like the Babylonians. The strategy was to entice them with the delicacies and privileges of their new life.
The only way to resist the pull of assimilating to the world is to rest ONLY in the love and approval of God.
4.
In the ancient world, changing one’s name was a big deal. It went to the core of a person’s identity. Giving the Hebrews new names in Babylon was a way of confusing them about their identities, reorienting their lives away from their past and toward the pagan gods of Babylonian culture… . Daniel and his three friends would have to fight to remember their identity and remain faithful.
In WWII, when the Jews were rounded up and placed in ghettos and then concentration camps, they were given numbers instead of their names. The Jewish young men in Daniel’s time were given new names, in order to confuse and alter their sense of being and identity. Where do you get your identity from? We must know who we are, and WHOSE we are!!
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: —Hebrews 12:14 (KJV)
DO
CONFORM
If we are going to fight the urge to fit in, we are going to have to deal with our selfishness, pride, and rebellion. How do we deal with isolation, indoctrination, assimilation, and identification?
1.
WHO YOU ARE
When God fills us with His Spirit, we become a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor 5:17 ESV)
Our flesh no longer rules us when we step into the wonderful kingdom of God. As a new creation, we are different from the world. Our very presence is offensive, and sometimes, the attention we receive will be negative. We weren’t just born, we were adopted and accepted into this family by God. We are a royal priesthood, a holy nation. We don’t need to fit in. We are called to stand out!
2.
YOUR MIND & EAT HEALTHY
We must not only deprive ourselves of the entertainment and thinking of the world, but we need to continually feed on the life-giving Word of God.
Reading scripture daily is a great way to do this because it feeds our spirit and increases our arsenal of weapons to use against Satan. Paul tells us, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” (2 Tim 3:16 ESV) Each word we read quietly or aloud is full of God-given power.
The Bible says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Phil 4:8 ESV)
When we watch, listen, and read things that line up with this verse, we strengthen our spirit. We feel more spiritually healthy and are able to resist the things of the world easier. But, when we do the opposite, we become fat in our flesh and seek more worldly things to gratify us. They Never Do.
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”
He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.” —ILLUSTRATION: TWO WOLVES
3.
TO SELF
We crucify our flesh by saying no to its desires and yes to God’s desires. Paul tells us that “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. “(Gal 5:24 ESV) We must exercise discipline and actively deny our flesh the things it craves. Eventually, our cravings will turn more to the things of God and less to our flesh.
We all have to decide what we are going to feed…our flesh, or the spiritual man that we became when Jesus gave us His Spirit.
• Ephesians 2:2; 1 John 2:16 - Satan is selfish, proud, and rebellious, are you?
4. DO THE
THING
Spiritual disciplines are tools we can use to keep us separate from the world. Paul tells us. “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness” (1 Tim 4:7)
It’s hard to walk away from God if you are talking to Him every day.
A Word to Parents
Parents know how challenging it can be to encourage our teen children to resist pressures by some of their peers to experiment with behavior that can scar them for many years to come. “My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say ‘Come with us …,’ my son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path” (Proverbs 1:10-11, 15).
Paul wrote, “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits’” (1 Corinthians 15:33), or as the Contemporary English Version has it, “Don’t fool yourselves. Bad friends will destroy you.”
And from Exodus: “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil” (Exodus 23:2).
Not conforming to this world seems impossible at times. But by being intentional in these things—realizing who you are, renewing your mind and eating healthy, dying to self, and doing the right thing when you want to do the wrong thing — we are able to guard ourselves against conforming to this world. We can also influence the culture around us and build each other up for the kingdom of God.