Opposing the World
Romans
{12:1} 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.
{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.
The will of God is good.
The will of God is acceptable.
The will of God is perfect.
Proving what the will of God is, is allowing our minds to be renewed and as our minds are renewed we are transformed. We are told not to be conformed to this world. We are told to present our bodies as a living sacrifice- holy, acceptable to God. We are encouranged by the mercy of God to do this, and it's all reasonable.
Alone we can't present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. Only by the mercy of God can we do so. Only through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior.
We are told not to be conformed to the world.
What does it mean to be conformed to the world?
Dictionary Definition:
Conform -
1. To correspond in form or character; be similar.
2. To act or be in accord or agreement; comply. See synonyms at agree.
3. To act in accordance with current customs or modes. See synonyms at adapt.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
When we conform to the world we are similar to all those in the world. We act in accord, in agreement with the world, complying to the world's ways. We act in accordance with current customs or modes.
Do we do this? Do we conform to the world?
Are you different than those who conform? Are you a stranger to them? Do you stand out as opposed to worldly ways?
We are taught from a young age to conform to the world we live in. It doesn't matter what country you're from. Each country has it's own customs, it's own ways and they are worldy ways. There isn't a single country that isn't worldly unto itself. The world's ways dominate. Godly ways are the miniority making those who follow them strangers to the world.
We want to conform though, it's just easier, it's just right to us to fit in and not stand out.
Do you conform?
We need to ask ourselves this question. How much like the world are we? How much to we keep of the world and shun of God? Where does God fit in our lives. We cry out we have to conform to live and yet deep down inside do we believe that?
We are in the world, but we aren't to be of the world.
Jesus prayed to His Father, to God-
John
{17:15} I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
{17:16} They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
We aren't to be taken out of the world.
We are to be kept from evil.
We aren't to be of the world.
Even as Christ wasn't of the world.
Be not conformed to this world.
By the Grace and Mercy of Christ we need to be His. We need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds in Him, through the Holy Spirit.
Is it easy? No. Is it possible? Only in Christ. When we try to conform on our own, when we attempt the renewing of our own minds, we fight a battle that is impossible and the weight of it overwhelms us completely bringing on despair. We need to grow ever closer to Christ. We need to grasp hold of His love, His mercy, ever laying hold of His mercy, seeking always to be closer to Him and his love.
We can't allow ourselves to forget that Jesus is our Savior, if we take our eyes off Jesus there is no hope.
When it might seem impossible to walk in the way of Christ we have to just remember He died for us! He lives for us and He will return for us, these are truths, these are facts and not fancy.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, we need to cry out to Jesus, cry out we believe, help our unbelief! We believe we would be His by His mercy and grace through the Holy Spirit.
Have mercy on us Lord! Mercy.
Amen.
3/30/10
Deu 4:31 (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
Deu 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Deu 31:8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Jos 1:5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
1Ch 28:20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.
Pro 3:3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
Jer 17:13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.
Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
*******
The fact that we cannot live for this world, this life is so real. Everyday we are confronted with problems big and small. It is so easy to get caught up in those problems and let them overwhelm us, so easy. We tend to believe as long as we make it through hard situations that God was with us, but what happens when we don't make it through and things go horribly wrong? Does God leave us then? If we are living for this world and peace in this world now, then we'll believe God forsakes us. We have to get it in our heads and in our hearts that the world we live for is the one to be after Jesus Christ returns to call us to Him. We need to remind ourselves over and over and over again what we are living for and it's not here and now. The things we may have to endure, the things we may have to face may break us in many ways and as long as we cling to our Savior and the promise of His mercy and grace, of HIS righteousness we can have hope for a better life with Him. The pain we have now is nothing compared to the glory to come.
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
I've said it before and I think I'll probably say it again and again because we don't tend to internalize this and live this. Satan would have us live with the pain and then point the blame at God.
God will never leave us.
Christ promised His comforter to us.
Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever
Does this mean we will be comforted at all times? Not if we are looking for the comforted in a worldly way. Some of God's greatest men and women suffer unimaginable pain and the comfort they find is in the knowledge, in the truth of the hope to come in Christ not in any belief they will no longer have pain and suffering right now.
By the mercy of God, by the hope in our Lord and Savior now and forever.
Amen.
3/30/11