Expectations for everyday living

Mature Christian faith is evidenced in our actions, often in ways that stand in contrast to worldly values. Romans 12:1 is a call on all believers to offer themselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. To offer ourselves as living sacrifice to God means to be dead to our old way of living in favour of a new and transformed life, which Paul described as “your reasonable service” or “your spiritual act of worship.”

This term speaks to surrendering our lives to God. We die to self, in that we lay aside our plans and desires in favour of surrender to God. Our lives are no longer driven by self-centred pursuits. This requires sacrifice, but by doing so we experience eternal reward. The sacrifice Paul described calls the believer to a life of nonconformity with the world. Such a lifestyle involves transformation that can only occur when our minds are renewed. Our minds include our intellect, will and emotions. The continual renewal of the mind is a major part of the process of sanctification.

In Romans 12:2, Paul has a “don’t” follow by a “do.” The negative command is to not conform to the pattern of this world. As the J. B. Phillips Bible translates it: “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould.” This is what the Greek term for “conform”— syschmatiz —means: “to form according to a pattern or mould.” The same term is found in only one other place in the New Testament, which is 1 Peter 1:14: “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts, which were yours in your ignorance.” What exactly do Paul and Peter mean by telling Christians to not conform to the world? The Christian and the world are not to be “like-shaped.” That is, we should not allow ourselves to be pressed into following the corrupt customs, ungodly principles or evil plans of action promoted by worldly men. The blessed man, according to Psalm 1:1, resists being conformed to the pattern of the world, but delight in living in the ways of God. Followers of Christ pattern their lives after the footsteps of Christ (1 Peter 2:21), not according to the principles of the world, which the Bible says is controlled by the devil, the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

• Today’s nugget: Cast off the works of darkness. Prayer: To be transformed daily in your walk with God. Prayer lines: 08033299824. E-mail: [email protected] Rev. Abel UkachiAmadi, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Nigeria.

The key to escaping the world’s grip of conformity is transformation by the renewing of the Christian’s mind. This is accomplished through God’s gift of the Holy Spirit who is working to change believers’ hearts and minds from within and being transformed into a changed person. Regeneration, or new birth, is being transferred out of the kingdom of darkness, and transferred into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. This is what it means to be a Christian – God creates a new humanity. The Christian has new thoughts, new attitudes and a new outlook on life. We must remember that as Christians, we have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of God’s Son. We are new creations with a heavenly citizenship. We must live in light of our eternal destiny and the coming judgment. We must purify ourselves and be ready for Christ’s return. We have no time to waste conforming to the world. We must wake up, cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light.