The Corrosion of Conformity
April 13, 2010
By David Whitmire
Aside from providing a cool name for an awesome Christian metal band, Romans 12: 1 & 2 hits us with the crossroads of a critical decision that we all must face. In fact, we are likely to find ourselves in this valley of decision on a daily basis. This passage of scripture lays out two diametrically opposed positions, and demands that you choose one of the two: death to self and the world, or death to life in God.
Paul urges believers to ‘present our bodies as living sacrifices to God' and I want to specify the physical nature of this command; he did not say heart, soul, or mind; he said "bodies." Paul understood, that whatever is found on the inside of a person, will come forth and present itself on the outside; and like many Apostles he is addressing the fact that what is done in the flesh is evidence of your true spiritual condition. Furthermore, your bodies being the host for all elements of our existence, a serious emphasis must be placed on the significance of surrendering them to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
To help you understand the importance of this principle I wish to point out that for a human, created in the image of God, that our physical bodies are, and forever shall be, our means of interaction with everything around us. This is true even in the next life for which God will give each of us a new body, not a new soul, or a new mind, but a new body. Even Jesus (who sets the bar for sacrifice) has a physical body in Heaven, and always will. Option 1: give your body, and all that is within, as a living sacrifice to God: death to self and the world, alive in Christ.
In verse 2 Paul warns us not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. For most it is easy to consider all the "bad things" in the world today, and all the "good things" about God; but how often do we actually take the time to prayerfully analyze the profound differences between the values that God gives in His Word, and the values of today's culture? I don't intend to address these, but I want you to think about it.
How many of us as Christians can honestly say that the values expressed by the lives we live match the values taught by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount? What does the world see when they look at us? How easy is it for them to identify us in public? Is there any difference; or are our ambitions the same, and our goals the same? Our attitudes and our interests; are they the same? What about priorities, how much do we reflect the world when we put money on the top of the list? What about fears; do we share similar fears and insecurities, or do we find our hope and security in the same sources? Where do we place our trust; in other men, leaders or friends, or God, or do we agree that it is better to trust no one at all?
The fact of the matter is that our influence, and our saltiness, is directly related to our levels of conformity and renewal; and the measure to which we as Christians are conformed to the world (having similar fears and similar pursuits) is the measure to which we are able to provoke unbelievers into anything that even resembles authentic message. What reason has anyone to buy into your faith of peace, love and joy in Christ if when they look at you they see that you are: just as worried about money as they are? Or that you are just as desperate to find that "right someone" to validate you and make you feel loved? Or that you are just as easily troubled by the trials of this life as anyone else?
For years, the world has criticized the church for being hypocrites. Even Gandhi said, "I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians." Are they not justified by their observation? The standard defense has been "Look at Jesus, not at me; I'm not perfect, just forgiven." Where is that in the Bible? Jesus did not say, "I will exonerate your flaws before men." No, in fact, He said quite the opposite! Jesus said, "Be holy, for I am holy." Is it possible that we are so brain washed by the culture about what Christianity should be that it is no longer true to the gospel? Where is the Church whose standards exactly match those taught by Jesus Christ?
To see believers living out these standards and values we have to look back to the Book of Acts. A study of "Acts" will show you an amazing people living according to the Culture of the Kingdom of God; Kingdom Carriers my friends and I like to call them. Despite all odds and persecution, the Church spread at an unprecedented rate and with spiritual power and authority not seen before or since; so much so, that the unbelieving world around them simultaneously feared them greatly and esteemed them highly, leaving unbelievers with only two choices: kill them, or join them. How much does this sound like your Church? Where are the Kingdom Carriers in today's society?
You see one of the most costly side effects of conformity is dullness in sprit. The more we share in common with the world the less we have in common with the Lord; and the less we are prepared to bring transformation and renewal to a desperate world in need. The real question here is: Who is influencing whom? Are you influencing the world with your saltiness, or is the world influencing you with all its temporary pleasures? This is where the corrosion comes in, because, it is always one of these two, and never neither of the two. Whatever areas of our lives we are failing to influence the world by living Kingdom Culture we are being influenced by the world. When we are not living according to Kingdom Culture values, whose values are we living by? Most importantly: how is God affected by our decisions regarding this topic of our lives? Just take a moment to think about that.
Many places in the New Testament speak of rewards given to those who have lived their lives focused on the next age, and their hearts set on the Kingdom of God. God loves to reward those who bless him by living their lives in perpetual sacrifice and renewal. God wants us to get a perspective of our role in this age and the next, which will inspire us to live a life free of conformity, and full of sacrifice and spiritual power and authority. As is usually the case, it is a work of the Spirit, which happens when we make the commitment, and begin to cooperate.
Is sinless perfection possible for anyone other than Jesus? I don't know; but I am going to die trying. Is perfect obedience possible? Maybe not; but as Paul encouraged, I am going to fight the good fight. Now I encourage you: don't let the devil take the fight out of you by desensitizing you with the temporary interests of this world. Pour yourself into the Word and into prayer, find out what it means to live according to the values of God's Kingdom. Do not be conformed and dull with no influence; but sacrifice yourself, and be renewed and transformed into a spiritual powerhouse having an impact on the world for the glory of God in Jesus name! Amen!
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