Calvary Church

Calvary Church

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Conformed or Transformed? (1)

'Do not be conformed...but be transformed...' Romans 12:2
Good Morning,
Well our flight is cancelled again. I'm Sitting here waiting to talk to someone about our flight out of here. The lines are jammed and I'm a little bummed. I've joked about how snow is of the devil, it sure feels like it today LOL. I know our little worries can't be compared to what others are going through especially since there are more terrible things than a canceled flight. So we must chose to be transformed even in times of stress or grief.

Chuck Swindoll said, 'We like to imagine ourselves a race of rugged individuals - the Patrick Henrys, Davy Crockett's and Lone Rangers. The truth is, we hate to appear different lest we be ostracized, branded fanatics and rejected. So, we conform. You'll see it in the child eager to please; the adolescent aligning with peer pressure; the adult breaking their back to keep up with the Joneses.' Just being different for its own sake is likely to be worthless, even counterproductive. What God wants from us is our willingness to be radically transformed. 'Therefore, I urge you...to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind' (vv.1-2 NIV). Here are two important observations to help you reach that goal: First: Transformation belongs to believers. The unbeliever can't break the world's control over them without Christ, but believers are promised: '...the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world' (1 John 4:4 NLT). God's indwelling Spirit enables you to resist the world's pressure to conform you to its ways. Second: God's appeal is urgent. 'I urge you, brothers.' Words like beg, plead, beseech are used in some translations because the appeal isn't secondary or optional. It's vital, a divine imperative! God is seeking for surrendered vessels that are ready to be transformed for His use. Are you willing to say, 'Yes, Lord, use me'? Even when it seems we can't....

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