Transformed

Sunday School recently was reading Romans 12.

Its context is the great choice every Christian must make: to be "transformed," and not "conformed" (v. 2)

To be "transformed" is to be changed: in this verse, away from going along with ("conformed to") the world. More important is the question of what we are changed to. Here, we're told it's to a mind "renewed" to prove (test, examine, approve) the perfect will of God.

The change is to what is called in Phillipians 2:5 "the mind (or "attitude") which was also in Christ Jesus." And we know what that attitude was. The mind that was in Jesus was to do the will of the Father. (John 5:30)

As a man, Jesus had a choice to make. Every man has the same choice. With Frank Sinatra, some choose to do it "My Way." Scripture tells us instead to choose as Jesus chose: to do it God's way.

God's very clear about the choice. In Isaiah 53, He says that "going astray" is exactly "turning to our own way. He says that that is how He defines "iniquity," sin. Do you want to agree with God, and not go along with the world ? Start by using God's definitions. Have this attitude in yourself which was also in Christ Jesus: what God says a thing is, is what it is.

Have this attitude too. God's thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our way: He says so in Isaiah 55. Human thoughts and human ways are never going to get it right, for one unchangeable reason: no human thought is God's thought, and no human way is God's way. The only way to ever get it right, is to view things as God Himself views them. That starts with making God's definitions our own: and it becomes our operative mindset as we do what God Himself does ("My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working," said Jesus), the way God Himself does them.

That's the choice Jesus made. It's the choice every human being has, to make.

But at least Frank Sinatra was honest about it. The world never is. The enemy cloaks his thoughts and ways in humanly-attractive forms. Going our own way is "independent-mindedness." Seeking our own good is "self-responsibility." Greed (to quote a movie-character) is good !

None of those were Jesus' attitudes. Yet many Christians operate by the world's thoughts and do things the world's way...and claim they follow Jesus.

Many Christians need to repent deeply, and seek the mercy of the King they continually offend !