42. Change, Romans 12:2

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1 42. Change, Romans 12:2 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. Question: How can I change? Trajectory Verses: 1 John 4:4; Romans 10:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:17 Our biography doesn t have to determine our destiny. We can change. The more baggage we bring to the baptistery the harder that is to believe. Because this is sometimes hard to believe, this essay will walk through three steps of change: Believe the promise of change; receive the power to change; and accept the challenge to change. This is not easy but neither is it complicated. You CAN change and you already have all the resources you need. Believe the Promised of Change The ancient prophet Ezekiel lived in some of the darkest days of Israel s history. The moral foundation of the nation had collapsed. He was one of the lone voices challenging the power brokers of his day to course correct. No one listened. That had to have been demoralizing. Yet out of this pitch black moral midnight shined a glimmer of light. Through Ezekiel, God promised a new lease on life for the nation he loved. I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God (Ezekiel 11:19-20). This same promise is repeated in virtually identical words midway through his book (Ezekiel 36:26-28). When God repeats himself, you know he s serious. This prophetic promise looks forward to the days of Jesus. His death and resurrection frees us so that his Spirit can indwell us. No matter how dark your night, no matter how deep your despair, or complicated your chaos, God can give you a new heart, a new spirit, a new lease on life. If you believe the promise, then confess your need. It is easier than you might think. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved (Romans 10:9-10). Your past is no longer a barrier for your best future: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Belief and confession lead to transformation: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

2 Receive the Power to Change It may seem like the odds are against us. We have internal impulses that seem too strong to master. We have a culture inundated with seductions. And we have an invisible enemy who is ancient, crafty, and powerful. How can we possibly overcome these obstacles? (1) God s love overcomes our internal impulses. That is the promise God gave as far back as Ezekiel (quoted above), that he would give us a new heart and new spirit. Anyone who has ever fallen in love knows this to be true. Lots of women who fall in love find a surprising new interest in sports. They accessorize with their beau s favorite jersey. Conversely, dudes who couldn t spell potpourri suddenly start adorning their apartment with lavender, cinnamon and honeysuckle. (BTW, I just had to use spellchecker on potpourri, just saying.) When we understand the transformational power of God s acceptance of us, it alters our interests. (2) Our Christian community overcomes our culture. Human beings are insatiably gregarious. God made us that way. We prefer to run in herds, flocks, gaggles, pods, and schools. We just can t help ourselves it s instinct. That can be a terrible thing (think middle school), causing us to follow fools into self-destructive behavior. Yet on the whole, it is a very good thing. Our commitment to family, team, unit, or community causes us to conform to the values of those we value. This instinctive conformity leads to a powerful synergy that not only allows us to accomplish more together but also to live healthier lives. True fact, when my wife is out of town, I don t like the person I become. I eat junk, watch too much TV, stay up too late, and forget to take vitamins. I suspect you are smiling knowingly right now. This is precisely why regular attendance in church is so important. It reinforces the values that reinforce our lives. It s not just (or even primarily) the sermons. It is the fellowship with others we enjoy and admire. We are better together. Yet to really fast-track transformation, we need to be part of a small group. Why? Because large gatherings are great at inspiration while groups are effective for transformation. At church we are hip to hip in rows. In homes we are face to face in circles. Small groups offer two things that cannot happen in large gatherings: The ability to talk personally and apply practically the truths of God s word. Preachers may be the professional teachers which is a good thing. Nonetheless, it s not knowing God s word that changes lives; it is applying it in the rough and tumble of our personal relationships. (3) God s Spirit in us overcomes the demons against us. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Is Satan powerful? Yes. Is he organized into a global force of destruction? Yes. It is likely that you have demons assigned to you who track your movements, know your weaknesses and exploit situations for your demise. Nonetheless, it is also likely that you have angels assigned to you as a protective detail. Yet more importantly, you have the very spirit of God inside you to coach, convict, and encourage you. His presence is of inestimable value in your transformation into the image of Christ. This truth should build incredible confidence and

3 grow grit in your soul. Knowing now that you have all the necessary weapons, will you accept the challenge to change? Accept the Challenge to Change All of us have areas of our lives not yet submitted to Jesus Christ. It might be an addiction to some substance. It could be an uncontrolled tongue (or text). Perhaps it is selfdeprecation or doubt. Undoubtedly, all of these are rooted in some kind of pride attempted to displace God as sovereign. So, before moving on, identify one practice you will commit to change (not three or five). Do it now before moving to the next paragraph. Whatever you just identified will be difficult to change. Don t be naïve and assume that just because you are a Christian you can knock it out. Transformational change is tough, but as believers, we have all the resources needed. Let s look at two passages that are most instructive in making tactical, practical, and permanent changes. Scripture #1: 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 (Romans 12:2). There are two words in this passage that offer keen insight into life transformation. The first is the word conformed. The Greek word looks like this: syschēmatizō. Can you see in the middle of the word our English word schematic? It is the idea of a template. There are cultural schematics: materialism, individualism, sensuality, entertainment, overindulgence. These are values that are in the air so to speak. The gravitational drift of culture will always pull toward these values unless we deliberately counterbalance their effect. How do we do that? There are four things God designed to protect us against culture s influence. (1) Scripture. Studies like this help us to think differently about life. If the Word of God is not in you, the world will be. (2) Music. Music bypasses the gatekeeper of the soul. It gets into our fiber. Worship music exalts God and we get caught up in the draft. It lifts us to places we want to be. The heavier the weight of your past baggage, the more helium of worship you will need to raise you where you want to be. (3) Service. Helping those who can t pay you back reorients our values. There is something sacred in service. Somehow Jesus stills play s hide-and-go-seek wearing the mask of the disenfranchised the orphan, the trafficked, prisoners, and the poor. If you are not there where he is, you will experience less of him. (4) Fellowship. As we gather to worship, to pray, and to proclaim God s word, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We are transformed simply by positioning ourselves in the midst of the faithful. The second word in Romans 12:2 that is so instructive is transformed. The Greek reads metamorphoō. Surely you see the English word in it: metamorphosis. This Greek word was borrowed in English to describe the radical transformation of caterpillars into butterflies and tadpoles into frogs. Though it was not a biological term in Greek, it did carry the connotation of a radical transformation. We can be completely different people. How? By NOT conforming.

4 Bottom line: Transformation requires nonconformity. If you want to change your life you must first change your friends. Changing friends requires changing your environment. Changing your environment requires changing your priorities. For some this means a difficult breakup. For others quitting a team or a job. For some it will even necessitate a move. Are you worth it? Is a new life worth the sacrifice of new friends, environments, and priorities? This leads to our second passage. Scripture #2: If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry Put on then, as God s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive (Colossians 3:1, 5, 12-13). Now we are down to brass tacks. This is where transformation happens. We must remove and replace. We put to death some old habits and put into practice some new ones. According to Paul here are some things that must go: Sexual immorality and financial greed. Lots of other things are on the list but these two summarize a bunch of them. Money and sex are roadblocks to spiritual growth when they are out of bounds. If you say you want to change, change starts here. Rid yourself of habits and opportunities leading to these two social seductions. Next, we must put into practice some key virtues. Paul lists them (above). These three top the list: Acts of kindness (implementing the hands of Christ), humility (adopting the mind of Christ), and forgiveness (practicing the heart of Christ). There is no shortcut to radical transformation. The cost will be high, often excruciating. Of this there is no doubt, the benefits are more gratifying than the sacrifice is difficult. Key Points: Radical transformation is possible the Bible promises this. The power to change is found in God s love, God s people, and God s Spirit. Personal transformation requires changing friends, environments, and priorities to put off old practices and put into practice new ones. Action Step: Identify one thing you need to put off and one thing you need to put into practice? Further Resource: Henry Cloud and John Townsend, Transformation (1992). Questions for Discussion: 1. What three-year period of your life did you make the most changes? What was it like? 2. Share a time when you saw someone who needed to change but just couldn t. What barriers stood in their way to a better future?

5 3. Which for you has been the most powerful catalyst for change in your life: (1) Being affirmed by God s love, (2) being connected to Christ s body, (3) being empowered by God s Spirit. 4. Which of these four resources do you need to increase in your routine to increase your chances to make a positive change: Scripture, Christian Music, Service, Fellowship? 5. Bonus: Does anyone need to make a change that you would be willing to share with the group to hold you accountable or support you with practically?