Are You A Conformist
Aug 14 2005
Romans 12:2
2And 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. KJV
2Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. The Message Bible
2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.£ The New Revised Standard Version
Prayer
One day a mouse on a farm decided to go from the barn to the house to look for some food. Upon entering the house he was disappointed to discover that there was a mouse trap in the house. Excitedly he ran out of the house back to the barn to warn everyone about the trap in the house. He first went to the Hen and said “There is a mouse trap in the house, there is a mouse trap in the house don’t go in there” The Hen Said “I am much to big for the that trap and I never ever go in the house anyway because I am much to busy sitting on my eggs I can’t be bothered with such nonsense.” Next the little mouse went to the pig and said “there is a trap in the house, don’t go in there.” The pig replied “I am to busy wallowing in my mud hole and eating my slop I don’t have time to enter into the house and even if I did surely I am to big to even be bothered by the trap.” The little mouse then went to warn the cow who said “The trap in the house does not bother me I way to big and besides why would I want to go into the house I have a perfectly good stall right here in the barn anyway.” The mouse went away dejected because no one else seemed concerned about the mouse trap in the house. The next week the farmers wife fell ill with a fever and he carried her to town to see the doctor. That afternoon he brought her back home. He then killed the chicken to make chicken soup for his wife. As the week went by she did not get any better and some people came over to sit with her to help the old farmer out. He had to kill the pig to feed all of these people. Eventually the farmers wife died and the cow had to be killed feed everyone who came to sit up with the farmer as he mourned his wife. So you see the chicken, the pig, and the cow had so conformed to the farmers will that they never ever realized that it was not the mouse trap that was the real trap it was the house that the trap was in. Ladies and Gentle men this is where many of us today are at. We are not concerned about the trap of this world. We are not concerned with the lures of this world that draws us in. We go on blithely with our lives and the poor mice are screaming out danger, danger, danger. Every pastor who discerns the word and preaches and ever Sunday school teacher who studies the word and discerns and teaches it are like the mouse they are warning everyone but few now listen I said few are heeding the warning. Many are doing their thing blinding themselves to the truth. They don’t want to see the truth because then they would have to give up something they love to do. That is why many today are not studying God’s Word because they don’t want to learn the truth and be convicted and have to give up the world that they love. But God’s Word has a message for us today and that message is found in Romans 12:2 2And 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.
What is Conformity? Conforming means to bend to the will or become like something. Many people claim that they are not conforming to this world. That they are doing what they are supposed to do. But, these same people often will do the same things as their neighbors. They use the actions of everyone else to justify why they can do something. There is nothing wrong with it because everyone else is doing it and God is not punishing them so it must be okay. There is nothing wrong with drinking that beer, or going to the casino, or watching that movie that shows more than I need to see why everyone is doing it and God is not punishing them. It is okay to have a radar detector so that I can break the law, do wrong, everyone has one so it must be okay. Oh preacher it is okay to have an addiction to smoking and tobacco, I am not hurting anyone else but myself. But we ignore God’s word when it tells us not to defile our temple ( body) but it must be okay to ignore God’s word because everyone else is doing it. Is this not the very definition of conformity when we use the excuse that ever body else does it. Are we not conforming the standards of this world when we are willing to do something because of what the rest of the world is doing.
How about when we knowingly do something wrong because if we did not it would cause problems. We know that someone at work is taking home cartons of pencils, pens, paper, paper clips and so forth and we don’t say something about it are we conforming because we don’t want to start a fuss. We don’t want to be seen as a tattle tale. Remember a tattle tale from school how young are we when the world first starts to reach us with its trap of conformity. We learn from a very young age to conform. Why the company want even miss these items they have so much money they just throw it away it is okay to take them. Did the company give you or them permission to take those items home for personal use. If everybody took home just a few items it would not be long when there would not be anything at work because every thing is at home. What does God’s word say about stealing, Thou Shalt not Steal and stealing one paper clip is stealing. Who are we to please in this situation God or man. By keeping our mouth shut or participating in this behavior we are doing wrong. But what about if you discover that your employer is doing wrong do you keep you mouth shut then because you need your job or you want that next promotion. The old saying two wrongs never make a right is true. God calls us to be truthful and if we keep our mouth shut knowing something wrong is going on then we are condoning it and we are conforming to a culture that supports it and that is not right in the eyes of the Lord. But who would know if we knew no one unless you told except God would know that you have chosen to conform to the values of this world and that you reject His values. He is the only that may ever know outside yourself but He is the only that matters and which would you rather Him know that you are conforming to this world or you are transformed by His word.
Why are we not to Conform? We are not to conform because we are the children of God. As His children we are members of the Royal family of Heaven and therefore we have His Holy Royal Blood flowing through us. Our actions are often and indictment against our own morals and values. Our children model what they see every day. God calls us to be Holy and not to conform to this world. We are to model our lives after our Father who is in Heaven.
As His servants we are only to serve Him. We can not serve God and the god of this world at the same time. God is a jealous God and we can only serve one just a servants today can only serve one master at a time. When we conform to this old world we stop thinking about God, we quite communicating with God and we begin to conform to this world luring traps. Satan knows what to bait the trap with to lures us to conformity but we don’t have to take it. We don’t have to forget who we are to serve first.
Also as Ambassadors of God here on this planet we represent Him and His kingdom. How well would we represent Him if we looked just like everyone else? What good are we God when no one can tell us apart from the rest of the world? Ambassadors are set apart to represent their nations. He stands out of the crowd. He does not conform to the crowd around him because He is representing His country. He can not represent His nation if he is to busy conforming to his surroundings. And if an Ambassador does become so immersed in society that he forgets his role his nation will recall him home and send another in his stead. An Ambassador represents his nation by thinking about his nation and by living in his nations, culture, values or morals.
And lastly we are command by God not to conform to this world in His word Romans 12:2. We are not to conform this world. Instead we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we are willing to serve Him. We are called to do that which is good and acceptable and the perfect will of God. How about you are you following the commandment of God? Are you transformed or are you Conformed?
How can we avoid conforming to this world? It is simple we must study God’s word, we must communicate all day with God. Then we will realize that it only by serving God can we avoid conformity to the world around us. For when our eyes are only focused on the Lord we do not have the time see the world around us and become focused on it. We must surrender our life to Him completely for it to be transformed changed life. What is God calling you to do today?
Is your life a true transformed life? Are you living a transformed life? Or is your life a life of conformity? Examine you life now. Have you totally surrendered your life to Jesus? Has Jesus touched your life and transformed you completely? Are you His Ambassador? If not then today you can be. You can be transformed today. In just a moment the alter will be opened for all who need to come down. Don’t let pride hold you back God is bigger than all of us and if He is calling you don’t hold back, don’t walk but run to meet Him He will meet you halfway with arms wide spread. Examine your life with the truth of God’s word are answering his Call.
