In this article, we'll be looking at a very important topic for all believers. All believers need to understand and know this and enjoy their true liberty. We'll be looking at Transformation, Not Conformity. That is the focus of our conversation as the Holy Spirit leads us.
Let us start our observation from a very important verse in the Bible, Romans chapter 12 verse 2. It says; “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
‘And do not be conformed to this world’. Can we see conformity there? So, what are we not supposed to be conformed with? To this world! It says; “But be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” Now from this Scripture Romans chapter 12 verse 2, there are two important things that we have seen there.
Number one is, Conformity. He said, “And do not!” It’s a command, it is an instruction. Do not be conformed. If the Bible had said do not be conformed, and it does not tell us what we should not conform to, then we would have been left in ignorance. The Bible says, do not be conformed to this world. So we start our observation by looking at, what is this world? This world is referred to as a system. I want to read that same Romans chapter 12 verse 2 in the Amplified translation, he said, do not be conformed to this world, he calls it this age. Do not be conformed to this age.
So, let us look at the age we are in. The age we are in, is an age of information. We are in an age where people do as they please. People believe they are self-made, not God made. We have believed in this world, in this age that we can do all things by our strength. We can do all things by our ability. We can do all things by how smart we are. But the Bible is saying to us in Romans chapter 12 verse 2 here, do not be conformed to this world. Don't be conformed to this age, the age of tattoo.
My husband was saying it some years back, he said my wife look at it, very soon, people will be tattooing Scriptures on their body and they will tell you this tattoo is not bad, because it is the Scripture. So that I will have the Scripture always on me, I've tattooed it on my body. And the Bible says, I have written My laws on their heart, not on their bodies.
And truly, recently we're watching a movie and somebody tattooed Psalm 23 verse 1, on his hand, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. It will be better, it will be of utmost importance if that Scripture is not on his body, but in his heart. It will be more important for us in this time and this age if Scriptures are not written just in our journals, but in our hearts. “Do not be conformed to this world, to this age, fashioned after and adapted to its external superficial customs.”
So, what is in this world? The Bible says, it is the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, self-gratification! That is what is in this world. I must have it now. It must be about me, myself and I. No delayed gratification. No, if God will not let me have it, I don't want to have it. If God will not allow me be there, I don't want to be there. Do not be conformed to this world.
Conformity is adaptation. Conformity is being fashioned after a manner or a system. There is a system of this world. A system that make young men and young women go out of their way to enjoy things that 75 year old, 85 year old people sweated for and they are enjoying now, they want to enjoy now. The system of this world or this age is, fake it till you make it. Keep pretending, keep lying, join the clique, go with the flow. And the Bible says here, do not be conformed to this world, don't adapt to the external superficial customs of this world. Don't go with the flow. If you cannot beat them, that's the system of this world, you join them. If everybody is going like this, follow them. The system of this world have crept into the church, the voice of the people is the voice of God; the same thing that destroyed Saul.
Do not be conformed to this world, but transformed. Conformity is adaptation, conformity is fashioning after the pattern of the world. But transformed; changed by the entire renewal of your mind, by its new ideals and his new attitude. So, transformation means there is a new. For there to be transformation, there is a new lifestyle. There is a change. And that's why when Jesus came to the earth, He said repent. The message of Jesus was repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.
By the entire renewal of your mind, by it new ideals., now that you have come to Jesus, the Bible says you are a new creation; old things are passed away. Old things, stop conforming to them, but all things have become new. Be transformed! Now that you have come into a new lifestyle in Christ Jesus, be transformed. Let it show. Stop going with the flow, stop following multitude to do evil. Separate yourself. Be consecrated. You have found a new path in Christ. Let it show that you have found Him.
So, what did the Bible say? It says, by the entire, not a part. I love the Amplified translation because it brings it home. The entire renewal, not segmental renewal, not sectional renewal! The entire renewal of your mind by it new ideals and its new attitude. What are your new ideals? What are your new attitudes? Repent, change your thinking, change the way you used to think, change the course, the direction you used to follow and start following Christ, start following His attitude. The Bible says, let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus. Let the mind of Christ be in you, not the mind of the world. By its new ideals and its new attitude, so that you may prove, the reason we are transform is to prove. The reason we transform is to show for ourselves what is good. There are three things there.
Number one is, what is good. What are you proving when you are transformed? What is good! Others might be doing it, does not mean you are a fool. You are proving what is good. There is a standard in Christ. Jesus can’t lower that standard for us, rather He will bring us up to His standard. Often time, messages have been preached to people, come to Jesus as you are. But there is a clause to it when you come to Him, you can’t remain the way you are. You must be transformed and not conformed. When you come to Jesus, you must step up to His standard, He won’t bring down the standard for you. You must come up to His standard.
So, if there is anything, any attitude, any idea that is not of God in your life, Jesus will show it to you, and what do you do? You repent! And that's why the word repentance is not just that day that you gave your life to Christ. Many of us are still in the process of repenting because every day you must change your thinking, it's an entire renewal. Entire renewal, not some!
“The places I used to go, I go there no more. The things I used to say, I say them no more. The people I used to hang around, I hang around them no more. There is a great change since I'm born again.”
The change we're talking about is the transformation. Haven met Christ, it must show. You must prove that you have met Him. There must be a change that you have seen Him.
On the road to Damascus, Saul met Christ, and it showed that he met Christ. The people he used to persecute, he persecuted them no more. The high priests he used to visit, he visited them no more. He said, I consulted not with flesh and blood. He said the message that I'm preaching, it was not delivered by men. He went into the secret place, three years in Arabia, consulting with the Holy Spirit.
Transformation is the change that happens to us when we have seen Jesus. Transformation is the experience that occurs in our life after we have seen Jesus. Have we seen Jesus? And seeing Jesus is not once in a lifetime. I've seen Him once and that's it. We must encounter Him daily, because that's when the entire renewal happens.
The Bible says, beholding, not behold. Beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord and we are being changed. What is my testimony? This morning I became changed. Yesterday, I became changed. We get changed daily. As we behold Him, we are changed. And that's why as a believer, beholding Jesus must be a daily experience for there to be an entire mind renewal.
So, if you are the husband to a wife, and you are expecting that wife to change, what do you do? Make her behold. If you are the wife and you desire a change in your husband, what do you do as a believer? Make him behold. Because our change happens at beholding! And that's why if you have a husband or a wife misbehaving, it is not in arguing and fighting. What you pray for is an encounter at beholding. You can never be the same encountering Jesus. That tax collector encountered Jesus. Jesus came into his house to dine with him. And everybody he had cheated, he restored double. What happened to him? He beheld Jesus, he encountered Jesus.
So, you prove for yourself what is the good. Every time we behold Him, there is a proving. Now let me explain it in details to us, what happens is that, as you behold Him, you become a better version of yourself. Beholding Jesus is not a competition. It is not that I want to be better than Sister Joy. It is not I want to be better than my husband. It is not that I want to be better than Sister Suzie. No! It is, I want to become a better version of myself. So you are not proving to people, it is proving for yourself. The things I was struggling with, that had become a stronghold in my life, Jesus took it away. That's our testimony.
The habits, addictions that I've been struggling with, as I beheld Him, it dropped off. I'm becoming a better version of myself, it is not competition. Beholding Jesus is not a competition; it is to make us better. Proving for yourselves, what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
So, let's go to the acceptable. Not acceptable to your parents or the world. Acceptable to God! What is acceptable in the sight of God? What are the things that God frowns at? What are the things that God embrace? So, what is acceptable in the kingdom is humility, not pride. The Bible says, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. You know the reason why we don't confess our sins one to another? Pride! The devil keeps condemning us and we remain in that place, because we are not proving what is acceptable. The Bible says God resists the proud.
So, you have an unconfessed sin and you did not confess it because of pride, then you are praying that God does some certain things for you. You know what God will do? He is your Father, He is your God but He will resist you. Those things you desire will not come, they won’t happen. Why? You have allowed what is unacceptable. Do we remember that Scripture in Proverbs, where the Bible says there are some things that is not acceptable before God, one of it is a proud look, true or false? A proud look! What makes you, when you have done something, you have sinned and come short of the glory of God, it is humility that makes you to confess it. No matter how it makes you look, no matter the repercussion of it. Then what did God say? He gives grace to the humble.
So, once you prove what is acceptable, you enjoy in God, that which is acceptable. There are some things, it is not prayer points, it's about lifestyle. How do you live? No matter how much you pray, if you are not doing what God said you should do, you would not be accepted. God said to Cain, He said, if you have done well, will you not be accepted? So, many of us, the answer to our prayer points is, if you have done that which is good and acceptable, will you not have been perfected? What is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect in His sight for you?
So, stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the world. Stop it! We need to stop it. Because the reason why many of our prayers are unanswered is not because God is not faithful, it is because we are not faithful. Because we have chosen to conform and not transform! Stop imitating the opinions of the world. Stop imitating the culture! What is culture? the way of life. “No oh, if you go and say the truth like this, they will not give you oh. To get it, it is not like you're lying, just don't say the truth.” When you don't say the truth, what is it? It's a lie. And the Bible says the devil is the father of liars. So, how are you praying to God the Father, when you are observing the culture of the devil, the father of liars?
You can't desire something from God and you are eating with the devil. You can't be dining with the devil and expect the riches and the goodness of God. So, stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you. But be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation, because it is about how you think. If you can think right, you will do right. Once your thinking is affected, your doing is affected.
Let us take a case study. Let’s look at the Book of Daniel; we want to look at Daniel as a case study. Daniel chapter 1 verse 8. 8 “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore, he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he will not defy, he is proving to himself with the portion of the kings delicacies. Daniel was taken as a slave to Babylon. He was a young man. There is a culture in Babylon when he got to Babylon. But the Bible says, Daniel purposed, he determined in his heart, I will not conform, rather I will be transformed. He will not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore, he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. He requested that he might not defile himself. Can we get into spaces and see the culture and refuse the culture?
Another case study is Joseph. Joseph was also taken as a slave to Egypt. There was a culture in Egypt; adultery and fornication was the order of the day. But Joseph purposed in his heart, he said, how can I do this great thing, and sin against God? Nobody was there. It was just Joseph and Potiphar’s wife. There was nobody to clap for him. There was nobody to say thumbs up, well done. But he determined that I will not conform. His non-conformity led him to the prison, but he stood his ground. He got into the prison, still he did not conform. He chose to be transformed by the renewing of his mind, and God promoted him from the prison to become the Prime Minister.
God is looking out for our thoughts. That's why Jesus said repent. Change your thinking. The vessels that God will use are the vessels that have changed their thinking. The kind of vessel that God wanted to make Prime Minister is not the vessel that has been sleeping with another man's wife. I want to give us a scenario, because when I read the Scripture, I love to practicalize it. Now imagine that Joseph had slept with Potiphar’s wife, he now has an addiction to sex, then God now maybe forgot about what he did; forgave him, and now made him the Prime Minister. Now Joseph was in charge of grains for nations. Imagine all the beautiful women that are coming from across the nations. Will he be apportioning grains or something else? And will that have glorified God?
Though your beginning may be small, there might be nobody to clap for you and say thumps up as you are building the character that God needs for a prime minister, from the prison or from Potiphar’s house but know that God is working you on your way to greatness. God is building in you the character that serves in the palace. God is building in you the relevant character for greatness. The Bible says, but Daniel purposed in his heart, that he will not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meal. Now, God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of eunuchs. And the chief of eunuchs say to Daniel, I fear my lord the king who has apportioned your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you shall endanger my head before the king. So, Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, please test your servants for ten days. Let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be examined.
Now this is what Daniel did, he said we choose to be transformed, we will not conform. But examine us in our transformation, you will see that we will be better than those that have conformed. And what happened? In their transformation, the Bible says they were ten times better.
Let's go to Daniel chapter 1 verse 19. 19 “Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. 20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm.”
All the people that conformed, they were ten times better because they chose transformation. Transformation, not conformity! Stop imitating the opinions of the culture around you, be transformed. Let’s allow God build in us the character that is required for where He is taking us to. Let God build in us the nature that is required for where He is taking us to.
Let's see another Scripture, Ephesians chapter 4 verse 23 to 25, 23 “and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.”
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind. How do you get transformed? Be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Every mind has a spirit. Let the Holy Spirit be in charge of your mind. The Bible says here, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you may put on the new man, which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, put away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. And if you continue, it speaks to a lot of things. Don't be angry. Don't let any corrupt word proceed out of your mouth and then he went to verse 30, 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. We can take time and read the entire Ephesians chapter 4, very instructive.
It is required of us in the kingdom to be transformed. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Ephesians 2 verse 10, why should you be transformed? For we are His workmanship; whose workmanship? God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. So we must be transformed for good works. When you conform, there is no good works. When you are transformed, there is good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Let us be transformed for good works.
See the good works that God did through Daniel. If Daniel did not start out that way, he would not be able to interpret the dreams. He would have been too carried away, and maybe when Nebuchadnezzar asked for the interpretation of the dream, they would have killed him along with the magicians and the astrologers. He would have lost his destiny. He would have lost his mark in the sands of time. He would have lost his mark in history and eternity if he had conformed.
So, transformation is not for now, it is for eternity. Transformation is not for today, it is for tomorrow. Transformation is not for your now; it's for your future. Stop imitating the ideas and opinions of this world.
Lastly, we're going to look at Luke chapter 8 verse 16 to 17, 16 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.”
God will not build your life, will not build your vessel and make it perfect and will now hide you. And say, “I don't want anybody to see this perfect man or woman that I've made.” Or puts it under a bed, but does what? Sets it! When our life truly becomes transformed, God will set us on a lampstand, He will set our lives on display, because He is confident that nothing will be missing. Nothing will be broken. God was so sure about the life of Jesus, that when Jesus comes to the earth, He will not choose to be dining and drinking with Herod. He will go to the trenches, He will do the work. Jesus Himself said boldly, He looked at God, He said, I have done the work of My Father, I've done the work, I have finished it. When He was asking God for the glory, He said, glorify Me with the same glory that I had with You, because I have finished the work. I have finished it!
When Jesus came to the earth, He did not choose to become king, or to become high priest, “the chief priests of the synagogue, or the chief priest in the Temple of Solomon.” Do you know they could have made him the chief priest if He wanted it? In fact, they wanted to make Him king. He could have been enjoying all of that life, but there was a purpose why He came. There is a purpose why you are here. There's a purpose why I'm here. We must do the work of Him that has sent us while it is day, for the night comes when no man can work. What your transformation will do for you, it's not that when you get there, not like the five foolish virgins, after they have gotten there, they realized they were not prepared for the waiting. They came.
Many of us have come to Jesus, but we are not prepared for what it takes to be in Christ, to do the work that God has called us to. There were five wise virgins, they were prepared for the wait, the Bible says and the bridegroom delayed. So, it is not just come to the bridegroom, are you prepared for the waiting?
The Bible says those that wait on the Lord, meaning that there is, waiting in God. So, you must be prepared for the waiting. It is in the waiting that your character is tested. It is in the waiting that you are tested, are you ready? Are you willing? Are you prepared to meet Him? Are you prepared to work for Him? Because when God invests in your life and you are transformed, He will not hide you under a table, He will set you on a lampstand that those who enter may see the light. That those who encounter you, that those who encounter your ministry can see the light of Christ radiating in you.
So, let's go to verse 17, for nothing is secret that will not be revealed. The work that God is doing on you in the secret, it will be revealed. The time that God is taking to correct you, to instruct you, it will be revealed. And see the other part, for there is nothing that is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden; all those bad characters hidden. The Bible says they will all be known and come to light.
So, what's the benefit of conformity? When even though it is hidden, even though you are doing it in one corner of your closet, the Bible says, it will come to light. Why not allow God build you in the secret place? The Bible says he that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Why not allow God to deal with us in the secret place?
Verse 18; "Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.” Transformation, not conformity! This is the will of God for us. As believers, He wants people that enter the room to see the light. He wants to walk on us in the secret, so that we will be vessels that He can place on a lampstand for those that enter the room to see.
