Theology for Everybody: RomansSample

If your whole life is worship, then you must decide with your head (your mind): Are you going to be conformed to the pattern of this world or be transformed by the Word of God? Those are the only two options.
What powerful cultural forces and pressures seek to make you conform to this world? Television, social media, news, government, education...the list could go on. You are being conformed if you believe or follow any of it. You cannot be a loyal servant of Jesus and be a gullible follower of worldly conformity. You just can’t.
Satan loves it when a Christian, or someone who at least professes to be a Christian, conforms to the world. The enemy and his followers will cheer for and celebrate all who are apostate. We are in the middle of a massive generational apostasy in the United States and the world at large. If you are following someone who does not have the Spirit of God and does not believe in the Word of God, then you are not a faithful servant of God.
There is pressure from this world to conform to a pattern of living. If you step out of line, you will be punished. You will be throttled. You will be name-called and opposed.
The pattern of the world often begins with two people having sexual relations. They do not intend to marry, but they become pregnant and have a child. Culture says this child is a good person, a blank slate with a clean heart. This child needs high self-esteem to succeed, so his parents tell him everything he does is incredible. The child eventually grows up and goes to college, where he learns critical theory, self-righteousness, and self-destruction. Then he graduates with a degree for which there is no job. He begins having sexual relations with various people and eventually “makes it official” by marrying one of them.
Life for this grown-up child is broken and traumatic without Jesus. Instead of turning to God, he decides to bring a new child into the world. Things don’t get better, though, so he begins having mid-life crises. Eventually, he retires and spends his time blaming everyone for his misery.
In the pattern of the world, everyone is arguing, fighting, and blaming, and no one is repenting, worshipping, or changing. Paul practically begs believers, “Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” To be transformed—to be a Christian—is to belong to a minority subculture. You’re the outlier. You’re the outcast. You’re the oddball. You’re on Team Jesus, and you don’t mind taking a hit for the team because, at the end of the day, everything else is failing. God’s Word has proven itself for generations.
You need to have a transformed mind, not a conformed mind. Being conformed is external but being transformed is internal. The Holy Spirit gives you a new heart, a new nature, and a new mind. He gives you new desires, new passions, and new pleasures. The non-Christian doesn’t understand Christians because the former has not been transformed internally—they’ve only been conformed externally.
The Holy Spirit wants to transform you internally. Culture wants to conform you externally. You will get in trouble, so you must decide what kind of trouble you prefer. Are you going to get in trouble with God because you’re being conformed or with people because God is transforming you?
Today’s Reflection
Are you being conformed or transformed?
Scripture
About this Plan

After Pastor Mark got saved in his college dorm room reading the book of Romans, this 365-day devotional is the culmination of more than 30 years of studying this incredible book. Chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse, this book digs into topics covered in the great book of Romans, such as justification, grace, predestination, legalism, deconstruction, and more.
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