To Conform or Not, That is the Question

In the World or Of the World? 

All my life I have heard and also said, “We (as believers in and receivers of Jesus) are in the world but not of the world.” But as I searched for that particular phrase, I learned that it is not an actual verse in the Bible. Hmmm….Now, obviously, that concept is referenced numerous times in the teachings of Jesus and reiterated by the authors of many New Testament books. But just so we are clear, when we use that phrase, we are not quoting scripture but rather a Biblical principle and teaching. So let’s look at what that principle looks like lived out.

In my last post, we examined Daniel and his three friends after they were taken captive to Babylon and “enrolled” in King Nebuchadnezzar’s three year training academy prior to being put into his royal service. Part of that training was to be well fed from the best of King Nebby’s pantry in order to grow physically strong. Dan and his buds resolved that they would not be disobedient to God by eating forbidden foods. With God’s intervention, they made a deal with the King’s headmaster of this academy to eat only vegetables and water for ten days. At the end of those days, they would be measured, weighed and judged against those who did eat and drink of the King’s best to see if they were falling behind in their development. Their faith in God was so strong, that they were determined to remain faithful to Him.

And God rewarded their faithfulness to Him. Even as King Nebby did everything possible to strip them of all things Jewish and remake them into all things Babylonian, God was with them and proved them to be the most physically fit and the most adept academically. So much so, that eventually they were elevated into a high level of service to the king. Their story of faith and God’s use of them for His purposes in that pagan kingdom is chronicled in the rest of the book of Daniel.

The account of Daniel and his friends begs this question: how can God’s people resist the pressures that can “squeeze” them into conformity with the world? It’s an age-old question, but there is no more relevant question for today’s believers! How do we live “in” today’s culture and not become part “of” the culture?

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

You see, Daniel and friends would not conform to the parts of Babylonian culture that went against the laws of God; they would not dishonor God even with the threat of death vs. possible favor with the most powerful person in the world at that time! What an example for us to learn from.

According to Romans 12, “conformers” are people whose lives are controlled by pressures from without. To conform means to act in accordance with the prevailing standards, attitudes, practices, etc., of a society or group; to be integrated. While “transformers” are those who lives are controlled by a power from within. Transform means to undergo a change in form, appearance, or character; to be altered. In other words, a conformer looks like, talks like, and acts like the culture around her. A transformer stands out because she is different in many ways from her culture.

These four men were transformed by their faith and relationship with God. And in turn and over time, God used them as agents of change. In fact, He used them to transform the minds of powerful rulers and to bring great glory to His name in a pagan land. But how? How were they able to not conform, especially given the pressure they were put under, and, instead, become powerful agents of change in that ungodly culture?

Their first step in becoming transformers in the world they found themselves in was giving themselves wholly to the Lord. Daniel and his friends’ hearts, the totality of their beings, belonged to the Lord (Ch. 1:8). Remember, when faced with the unholy diet, they resolved or were determined not to partake. Let’s be real. That determination to live for the Lord was in them before they were taken captive to Babylon! That’s an important detail. If we are not already grounded in the Lord and who we are in Him before the trials come our way, it will be almost impossible to take a bold stand for what is right and holy in His sight. It is when faced with the trial that we discover how deep our faith really is. A heart that loves the Lord, trusts the Lord, and obeys the Lord has no difficulty making the right choices when hit with the tragedies and difficulties of life.  Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life.” Faith is not believing in spite of evidence – that’s superstition – but obeying in spite of consequences.

The second step in them becoming transformers was to be gracious toward those in authority. These four young men noticed that headmaster Ashpanez was especially friendly and kind to them, and most importantly, they recognized that as the working of the Lord. Ch. 1:9 says, “Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials.” Instead of acting like belligerent prisoners, these four recognized the risk they were asking Ash to take by allowing them to change the prescribed diet. His head was on the line, literally! They asked, not demanded, a short trial period – one that was not long enough to endanger Ash more than necessary. Over and over in scripture, we see courageous men and women of God who had to defy authority in order to be obedient, and in every successful case, they took the wise and gentle approach. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18

These four young Jewish students were grounded in their faith, but they didn’t threaten anyone, stage a protest, or  burn down buildings. They simply lived their faith, excelled at their studies, and acted like gentlemen. They lived in the culture but did not become part of that culture. They did not conform, but as time went on, became transformers in that ungodly culture.

Unfortunately, today believers are faced with the same basic dilemma as these believers hundreds of years ago. Our culture has eroded into one that is being taken over by those who would like nothing better than to strip us of everything that is holy and remake us into a God-less society. I believe we are on the precipice of great consequences. It is time for believers to be like Daniel and his friends – we must ground ourselves in our faith so that we will be able to be resolved to live it out when faced with the sinful trends of our culture.

I am encouraged when I remember that Jesus, right before being arrested and crucified, prayed for us, today’s believers.

I have given them your Word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They don’t belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth….I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message (that’s us!). I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one… John 17:14-21 NLT

It is easy to be a conformer – to not make waves, not take an opposing stand, just go along to get along. But that is not what we are called to be. We are called to be transformers in this world. We become transformers by the very power that lives within us – the power of the living God who resides in every receiver of Jesus Christ in the form of His Holy Spirit.

The choice is up to us. Do we want to be part “of” this world or do we want to live as a light, a beacon of hope “in” this world? The consequences of either choice are great and have eternal significance for us, our loved ones, and those we encounter in this journey called life.

I pray to be resolved like Daniel and his friends!

I am resolved to follow the Savior, faithful and true each day; Heed what He say-eth, do what He will-eth, He is the living way. (Stanza 3 of the old hymn, I Am Resolved)

 

Called to Be Different.....Part 3 - Final

For the past couple of posts, we have been exploring the principle that believers in the Lord Jesus are to be different than the world. (See Part 1 and Part 2) The Bible's definition of different is holy. Every follower of Christ is called to be holy.

• For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this not because we deserved it, but because that was His plan from before the beginning of time - to show us His grace through Jesus Christ. 2 Tim. 1:9 NLT

We also established that holy does not mean perfect - only Christ was capable of perfection when He walked this earth as a man. But we are to be imitators of Him. (Eph. 5:1)

Being holy begins in the mind by allowing the Holy Spirit to filter our thoughts and attitudes. Our goal should be to first think like Jesus....

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

Jesus's thought patterns were framed by the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23) The ATTITUDES OF CHRIST!

Once those ATTITUDES take root in our hearts, the ACTIONS OF CHRIST will follow.

What do those ACTIONS look like? Well, we saw the ATTITUDES lived out through Jesus in ACTS of kindness, mercy, and compassion. However, sometimes it is easier to understand a concept by acknowlegding what it is NOT.

• It is obvious what kind of life develops [when not allowing the Spirit to conform you]:
  
  repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal and divided temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; and vicious habits of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. Gal. 5: 19-21 The Message
• Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these... Gal. 5:19-23 NAS
  
  

Both of those translations tell us plainly what followers of Christ should NOT act like. Reading over that list is like reading today's newspaper - it IS the world!

Now, let's be clear - to live without any of those actions - ever - is to live a perfect life. We can't achieve that, so there will be times when some of those actions will creep up on us. When they do, we need to recognize from whence they come and repent. But overall, none of those actions should be prevelant, or, in other words, a habit, in the life of a Christ follower.

Because....if we ARE walking with Jesus, our minds are being transformed - an on-going process

 until we are finally perfected in heaven.

The more our lives are transformed into the image of Christ, the more different our normal becomes. And that's okay! Our normal should be different from the world's normal in both ATTITUDES and ACTIONS.

• If you lived on the world's terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God's terms and no longer on the world's terms, the world is going
  to hate you.
  John 15:19 The Message

If you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, there is a call on your life - a call to holiness.

• As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior...1 Peter 1:14-15 NAS

As I think about being different from the world, I have to be honest and say that I don't always want

 to be different, and it's not always easy to be different. But I do have this promise from God's Word:

• ...I couldn't be more sure of my ground - the One I've trusted in, can take care of what He's trusted me to do right to the end. 2 Tim. 1:12 The Message

Are you hesitant to be different from the world around you, or are you willing to allow God's Spirit to live out His holiness through you?

The Garment of Humility

There is an invisible shroud that follows me around and raises its ugly head once in a while. It gets in my way, changes my plans, disrupts my schedule; it even causes me to think, do, and say things that I know are not nice! Sometimes it prevents me from complimenting or affirming someone, sometimes it keeps me from asking for help or admitting that I don't know what to do in a situation. There are times when this shroud can be a positive thing, but usually its results are negative.

Have you figured out what my shroud is? I suspect that it follows you around as well. Its name is Pride.

We all know how destructive Pride can be in our lives.

• Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling. Prov. 16:18

I am not going to elaborate on it here - I'm afraid that, if I did, I would never get around to the point of this post. So what is my point:? To look at the antidote to the shroud of Pride - the garment of Humility.

• Humility - 1) Not proud or arrogant, 2) having a feeling of insignificance, 3) low in rank, importance, status (dictionary.com)

What about those definitions rubs you the wrong way?!! All of them, of course. "Sounds" so good, but oh so difficult to live out.

• All of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, and He will lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:5-6

Humility is an attitude that is lived out in actions. Attitudes and actions are a matter of choice. I can choose to be humble - or not. But as I think more and more about emulating Jesus, I think of Philippians 2:5 - In your lives, you must think and act like Jesus. (NCV) To think and act more like Jesus, I am going to have to make some choices and some changes.

Making a conscious decision to choose humility should be birthed out of the understanding that humility is one of God's characteristics - it's His nature to be humble. Jesus lived out his nature, and one of the most dramatic examples of His humility is found in John 13:3-5:

• Jesus knew that the Father had given Him authority over everything and that He had come from God and would return to God. So He go up from the table, took off His robe, wrapped a towel around His waist, and poured water into a basin. Then He began to wash the disciples's feet, drying them with the towel he had around Him. (NLT)

God, the creator of the universe, the One who breathed everything into existence, came in the form of a man, and before He was arrested and executed, He became like a lowly servant and washed the dust from His friends feet! Think about that....that's a WOW!

And then the ultimate picture of humilty -

• He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. Philippians 2:8 (NLT)

How do we even begin? It begins in our minds - as a choice.

• You must have the same attitude that Christ had. Philippians 2:5 (NLT)

That is only achieved when we spend time with Him in His Word everyday - consistently. Humility is not part of our human nature, and it is not part of the Fruit of the Spirit. It's an attitude which results in action that we choose to take on. If we choose to live and act like Jesus - knowing that it is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, then we must choose to lay aside the shroud of Pride and put on the garment of Humility.





Ordinary or Extraordinary?

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about the difference between being conformed or transformed spiritually in relation to the world in which we live. Today, my mind is thinking about the difference between being ordinary or extraordinary.

I think of ordinary as being like most other things in the same category. I play Bunco with a wonderful group of teacher friends. For years, each table played with the normal white dice with black dots - ordinary. Then a math teacher in the group brought dice she used with her students. Some were green, some red, some yellow, some pink, etc. - extraordinary! We never know what color of dice will be at our table as we try to play our way to the top! For some strange reason, it makes our games more fun. (It may be that it just doesn't take much to entertain ladies who have been with kids all day!)

In the same manner, after I had been teaching long enough to get my legs under me, I decided I did not want to be an ordinary teacher teaching an ordinary subject. I wanted my students to love literature and writing and even grammar (now that's a stretch!) as much as I did. So if it meant creating lesson plans beyond what the textbook suggested or thinking up assignments and projects that would capture their interest and also be somewhat fun, then that's what I would try to do. At one point, the teachers on my interdisciplinary team and I decided to recreate with the students the Oregon Trail. We put together math, English, history, and science to tramp across the acreage surrounding our school with the students pulling their wagons and dealing with our version of the many hazards the pioneers faced.

Now, obviously, we had mixed reactions from the students. These were eighth graders, so to some it was NOT cool to be dressed up like a pioneer pulling a red wagon loaded down with pounds of bricks and water jugs. I did see quite a bit of eye-rolling going on! But we had so much fun, and I can guarantee you that those students will remember more about Westward Expansion than they ever thought possible. My oldest daughter was in that first group of trail-blazers, so I saw a LOT of eye-rolling from her. I mean - it was her MOTHER making them all do this! Not cool! But not long ago, she mentioned how much fun that experience was and how unlike any other "lesson" in school she experienced - and she is almost 30! It was extraodinary!

Well, I don't want to live an ordinary Christian life! And I don't believe the Lord wants or expects the ordinary from us. Let's look back to Romans 12:2 -

• Do not be conformed to this world [live like ordinary, worldly people], but be transformed by the renewing of your mind....[live an extraordinary life by learning to think like Jesus] (editorial comments are mine)

Living that kind of extraordinary life can't be accomplished without the help of the Holy Spirit living in a believer. But if that Spirit does live there, then that believer has the capacity to learn to think like Jesus. And that, my friends, will lead to an extra-extraordinary existence!

A good place to begin is Philippians 4:8. This verse can serve as a filter for our thought processes.

• Finally brethern, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

If we want to have our minds renewed, to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, then we must choose to learn to think like He thinks. That verse gives us insight into what He likes His mind to ponder. Truth, honor, righteousness, purity, love, excellence, praise-worthy....

Now, I've been working on this for a while, and I have to tell you it is NOT an easy task. It is NOT our nature to think on the honorable, right, pure and lovely things about ourself, our circumstances, or other people! So don't get discouraged and give in to being ordinary. Remember that you (I) can do all things through Christ who gives us (me) the strength! (Phil. 4:13)

Let's agree that we want to be one of those green, red, or even yellow die that when scattered on the table draws attention to itself because it is different - in a good way. Our difference will be because we have the mind of Christ and are learning to think like Him.

Pray or Be Prey....

Do you remember the days of playing those childhood games like “Hide ‘n Seek”? My memories of that game are not all that good. I had two problems when I was on the “hide” side of that game.  As a child who wore a leg brace, I was not very fast – so by the time whoever was “it” counted to 10, I usually had not gotten very far. “It” could also track me to my hiding place by listening to the squeaks of the ankle joint of my brace! I always felt like raccoon that was being treed. It's not a good feeling to be someone's prey!

In the spiritual realm, I am also being stalked because I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

·         Be of sober spirit; be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.  1 Peter 5:8

In that passage, Peter is speaking to believers. So, that someone is me and you – if you are a believer in Jesus Christ! I don’t like the idea of being hunted. I don’t like the idea that someone is actively seeking to destroy me. So what are we to do?  

Paul was very specific in his instructions about fighting the devil in Ephesians 6.  We are to suit up for battle because we are at war with Satan. He is seeking to destroy each of us, to steal our joy and abundant life, to oppress us so that we do not share the news of Jesus with those we encounter. He wants us to be paralyzed, unhappy, and ineffective as a child of God.

·         Put on the full armor of God so you will stand firm against the schemes of the devil… Eph. 6:11

Most of the armor the soldier of that time wore was defensive in nature. The only offensive weapon mentioned is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Just as we saw with Jesus when He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, the scripture defeats Satan. He has to flee when God’s Word is spoken. So it makes sense to me to pray that armor of God on everyday to be protected from his attacks. We should pray it on ourselves and on others we care about – especially when they are in the midst of battle and may not be strong enough to pray it on themselves.

The Word of God is powerful – even more so when prayed in the name of Jesus! When fighting your own battles or helping to equip someone else, pray on the armor:

Father, let _____________ be strong in You, and in the strength of Your might. Put on her the full armor of God that she may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Lord, hold her tight with the belt of Truth. You are the Truth; help _______ to hold fast to you and not be afraid. Dress her with the breastplate of righteousness – search her heart, protect her heart, and fill her heart with right motives and emotions. Place on her the shoes of the gospel of peace. Where ever she goes, let her go in the spirit of peace and let her be ready to share Your salvation with those she meets. Place in her hands the shield of faith that it might deflect the flaming missiles of the evil one. Through her faith, let her carry out her purpose and claim the victory that You have already won. And Father, put on _________the helmet of salvation. Remind her who she belongs to and not let her listen to the whispers of Satan. Protect her mind from falsehoods and self-defeating thoughts. Transform her mind into the mind of Christ as she goes about her daily life. Finally, Father, let her carry the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Bring to her mind the verses that she needs for comfort, courage, and battle against Satan. Let her remember Your word that she can claim as she faces the temptations of Satan. Your word says that You have given Your angels charge concerning her, to guard and protect her in all her ways. Thank You for building a hedge of protection around her. Finally, I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that You are able to guard what I have entrusted to You until that day when you return. I entrust _______________ to You.
Eph. 6:10-20; Ps. 91:11; 2 Tim. 1:12

As believers, we can choose to pray or be prey...
                                                                                   

Conformed or Transformed????

Have you ever really thought about what happens to a person when he or she becomes a Christian? I mean, is there a big cross tattooed on the forehead or something? Obviously not. So, how are we to recognize someone as being a Christian? Or, are we even supposed to be able to recognize a Christian?

Many times a Christian doesn’t want to be noticed, doesn’t want to be singled out as a believer in Jesus. Some people see believers as Bible-thumping holy rollers who look down on the humanness of our condition. Others look for the imperfections in Christians that contradict what they say they believe. Then there are some who actually make fun of and ridicule people who profess faith in Jesus. Sometimes it’s just easier to not be noticed as a believer; it’s easier to live as a silent Christian.

Scripture indicates very strongly that a true believer in Jesus Christ should be different from those who do not profess faith – they should be noticed!

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

Two key words in that verse are conformed and transformed.

·         Conformed - to act in accord with the prevailing standards, attitudes, practices, etc., of society or a group; to be or become similar in form, nature, or character. (dictionary.com)

What does being conformed to the world mean? It is necessary to know the answer to that question in order to understand the imperative to NOT do it.

If one is conformed to the world, he/she looks like, talks like, walks like, and smells like the world. In other words, there is no difference between the two. It’s like the old adage, “If it walks like a duck and quakes like a duck, it’s probably a duck.” There is no distinction between his/her  vocabulary, or the jokes he/she tells and laughs at, or the morals and ethic he/she lives by. Business is conducted like the world, relationships look like those of the world, social activities are the same as the world.

Believers are NOT to be like the world.

·         Transformed - to undergo a change in form, appearance, or character (dictionary.com)

Instead of conformed to the world, believers are to be transformed – changed! Believers are to be different! They should stick out! They should be noticed! – Not in an obnoxious, “better-than-you” type way, but different in their character, motivation, and purpose. Wow!  That’s not something one can do on his own. Oh, one can pretend – for a while – but eventually, the true self will win out.

So how is that transformation achieved? …by the renewing of your mind… This is a spiritual transformation – unable to be achieved except via a supernatural force.

·         This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17

Transformation!

Christianity is a calling – away from worldliness and toward Godliness. We are called to be like Christ – not BE Christ, but be LIKE Christ by the transforming of our mind, our thoughts, our inner man.  

That spiritual force, the Holy Spirit, is instantly in us when we put our faith in Christ. That refining process of transforming our minds is a process, a path we travel as our relationship with him grows deeper.

Christians are to be noticeable. They should stick out like a redhead in a sea of peroxide blonds!

If you claim Christ as your Savior, is it noticeable to those who cross your path throughout the day, or are you living out your life as a silent Christian, hoping no one singles you out, pointing no one toward Jesus?

Are you conformed – or – transformed?