Transformed
Sunday 8th June
Our grandchildren have been staying with us and we were amazed at the new kinds of toys that children play with today. A baby born today is not that much different from one born 100 years ago or 100D years ago but the space age into which our children are being born soon has a profound effect upon their lives and their play.
The big toy today for little boys seems to be transformers. We thought that transformers had to do with electrical equipment but the transformers that the children play with today are peculiar looking little robots made out of metal or plastic and by a series of manipulations they turn into a lion or race car or something else totally removed from the original robot. Happy little boys spend hours twisting and turning legs and heads into wings and wheels.
Now the word ”transform” is not a new word to us, it is just new in being applied to changing a toy into a car that was just a moment ago a robot.
The Greek word, ”metamorphosis” which is translated ”transformed” by Paul in Romans 12 is connected with our English word, ”metamorphosis” which means ”a transformation, to be transformed or transfigured.”
Paul instructs us saying, ”be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”
What Paul is saying here is that we can be completely changed from what we were to what we should become by being ”transformed.” This transformation or change takes place by the ”renewing of our mind.” We really are ”what we think about all day long” as Emerson said.
Now there is a battle going on within us. The world is trying to make us ”conform.” Paul is telling us to fight back, to resist the pressure of the world and become completely changed by forcing our minds to think godly instead of worldly. We like the Phillips translation of this verse, ”Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within.”
When Paul wrote this warning, there were no daily newspapers, radios and TV’s to pipe the world right into our home all the time but even then it was important to resist the pressure of the world to tell us how to think.
Almost without our realizing it, we are programmed by advertising how to think, where to go and what to buy. We are all familiar with the slogans, ”Don’t leave home without it,” ”Fly the friendly skies” and ”the good hands people.” We know what product each is advertising so that is proof that to some extent we are being pressed down into the world’s mold.
If we do not make a concerted effort to ”let God re-mold our minds” we will never be transformed and when Jesus comes we will be just like everyone else. Paul tells us that when Jesus comes he will ”change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.” He did not say Jesus would change our vile mind because that is something we are supposed to be doing right now. If we do not now begin to think like Jesus thought, then when he comes he will not give us a body like he has.
Paul told the Corinthians that ”as incredible as it may sound, we who are spiritual have the very thoughts of Christ.” This is a real transformation from worldly thinking, as spectacular as a caterpillar turning into a butterfly or a toy robot turning into a lion or airplane.
Let us resolve to ”fight back” against the pressures of the world that are trying to ”squeeze us into its own mold” and by faithful Bible reading let God remold our minds from within, so that we may prove in practice that the Plan of God for us is good, meets all His demands and moves toward the goal of true maturity.