Conforming And Not Transforming

Scripture: Rom 12:1-2

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

I don’t know how much you know about me but, I spent a year in jail. In 2004 I was involved in a vehicular accident in which a woman died. The case went to the High court in 2014 and the jurors did not believe that I was not guilty. My 18 months sentence could easily have been 15 years but my God was with me and sometimes I even believed it had nothing to do with my guilt or innocence, but that he wanted me there for His purpose and His will.

I was especially concerned sometime ago when Sr Sandy had to go court to give evidence, for I know that Lawyers smell fear and use this to their advantage , and I mean their advantage and not moreso their clients. Yet I was not in the least surprised by the outcome. What happened may sound coincidental but I fully believe in the providence of God. You see what most lawyers care about is their reputation and whether they are prosecutor or defence they will attack anyone to make their case

What does this have to do then with the scripture that was read in your hearing? You see the Prosecutor in my case attacked my Christianity and you wouldn’t believe it, but that was his main strategy to win at all cost

How did he know I was a Christian? Well he may have suspected when I turned down his noncustodial sentence for a guilty plea. After all, My lawyer did make me sign a document saying that I refused the offer on two counts; I was not guilty neither was I going to lie. When I took the witness box his first words to me was “Mr. Jeremiah so you are a Christian but you did not swear on the Bible”. I wanted to say “So did one of your witnesses” but I did not want to get cocky so early in my cross-examination and too, he really didn’t ask a question . When you have truth on your side you can really get cocky . But also I knew he was just playing to the jury.

In his line of questioning he wanted me to say that I did certain things because those are things everybody does.

Specifically he wanted me to say that on the highway everyone speeds;

he wanted me to say everyone speeds regardless of the speed limit;

he wanted me to admit that everyone tries to beat a red light ;maybe not all the times but sometimes, well thanks be to God and my faith in God, his strategy failed and that happened because I had truth on my side.

Well I’m here to say brethren, if my defence or any Christian’s was we were speeding or anything because everybody does it then we are no different to an unbeliever. I have a saying and anytime I say it I virtually get into trouble “If we are doing things the way the world is doing it we are probably doing something wrong”.

It turns out doing things the way people are doing it is a serious indictment against the Christian and can be used by the enemy, the accuser to blaspheme the name of God. Based on the scripture that was read in your hearing two things come to light when we find ourselves in this particular circumstances; 1. We are conforming and not transforming 2.We are not consecrating ourselves.

Conforming Not Transforming

When we forsake the assembly on the grounds that we have important studies, projects, exams, and other things that seem more important in our lives, We are confirming not transforming . The thing is Sometimes two days before that important event we come before His throne and ask Him, who gives us the power to retain, to discern, to cypher, for help to achieve whatever it was. We are conforming and not transforming

When we go on Facebook and without shame show what we had for lunch but feel shame to send a scripture of comfort . We are conforming but not transforming.

When we run away from our jobs and leave our employers shorthanded and shortchanged because that is the culture and tradition and everybody does it; we are conforming but not transforming. Almost every year we hear controversy in the hospitals about nurses not coming to work around Christmas time. Well I’m hoping this year it will be recognized that those that do come are Christians. I mean why would we stay away from work on a day we do not observe.

When we make a right turn when the sign clearly says you can’t, or drive on the shoulder or drive through the intersection when the lights said two cars ago, that you can’t. And what makes that worse, our kids are in the car , yes you guessed it, we are conforming and not transforming. You know it has been said. I guess mostly in the developed countries that many a criminal get their start in the back seat of cars. They watch their parents break every traffic law, give the finger for things they don’t like, curse fellow motorists and lie when stopped by the police.

When we look at a crowd mainly children and cannot discern by dress, by mannerism who is carnal or who is spiritual or who are Christians and who are not, we are conforming and not transforming . Doubtless some of us may think, clothes is nothing God knows the heart. A dangerous thing to say because sometimes it looks like to Him that we want to be like the unbelievers. You see He knows that we are natural followers.

When we easily recite the latest lyrics from the likes of Machel, Destra, Movado and Cartel and can’t open our mouths to raise or sing a hymn in Church we are ……… you guessed it. But just let me make sure.

You are raising your family and the words of Oprah, Dr Phil, Dr. Spock take precedence over the wisdom of the book of Proverbs; we are......

In prison I refused the opportunity to make phone calls home because it involved the corrupting of a prison officer and to tell you the truth when you do these acts you are just cultivating unwanted future associates or maybe associations. And causing the name of the Lord to be blasphemed.

Brethren, whenever we let traffic, long lines, filled waiting rooms, long waiting lists, culture and tradition or any little discomfort make us take illegal, unlawful, undoctrinal and unconscionable shortcuts, we are not indifferent to the rest of the world, and worst we are followers at best, when we should be leaders.

But with regards to the issue of conforming I think you get the picture.

Consecration.

But I mentioned two points; the other being we are not presenting our bodies as living sacrifices holy and acceptable to the Lord. I consider that the same as not consecrating ourselves, meaning taking ourselves from common use.

For example

Aaron was consecrated or taken from Common use out of the whole tribe of Levi to be High Priest

The tribe of Levi was consecrated or taken from common use out of the whole twelve tribes to serve the priesthood and the tabernacle

Not only that watch this, According to Ex 19:6 God consecrated Israel to be a kingdom of priest to the nations whereby they, these nations can approach God.

And Indeed Brethren that’s the plan for us according to 1 Pe 2:9

1 Peter 2:9 ESV

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Christians are to intermediaries of sort whereby unbelievers approach Christ. But if we do as the unbelievers do, if we follow and not lead, we are not only not transforming but we are as common as they are. Not only that, We are already failing in our efforts to be different, or special.

Let me just paint one prison tale to make my final point and I’ll be done. In jail you have to declare your faith or religion as they put it. When it came to my turn here’s how it went.

What’s your religion? Christian

Yeah but what Church ? The church that Jesus built

Okay what denomination? We are not a denomination

Okay what name? The church of Christ.

Are you Pentecostal or Full gospel?

You see my point, they, the world don’t know us and they think we just like the rest and that is only because we are not taking the time to be special, to transform. They lumping all of us together can never be good for the Church.

How do we start? Take example from the Lord Himself. Satan says to him “ make these stones into bread! Hear Jesus: I have alternatives, I have options. On the one hand I may be Hungry but on the other hand I am filled with every word that comes from the mouth of God. Jesus beat him with Scripture.

We have to be careful of syncretism, legalism and playing religion generally. If its one thing He learned from the Ezekiel temple is that out of it flows living water ,a water that heals and brings abundance, but get too far from the source, you drown and drown in any language is still dead.

(want to leave a motivating scripture for you; 2 Tim 2: 20,21

Invitation.