Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing, and perfect will. Romans 12:2 This verse came up in a recent Bible study, and as most of us do we talked about how not to be conformed to the pattern of this world. Usually, this conversation goes to ethics and religion and the "idols of this age." But let me take it a different direction - tell me what you think.
The opposite of being conformed to the pattern of this world is to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. But what is the purpose of such transformation? To test and approve (NIV; prove NASB) the will of God. In this life, the will of God for us primarily involves our relationship with Him and our relationships with one another (cf. the Sermon on the Mount). In other words, a major difference between being "conformed" and being "transformed" has to do with our approach to relationships. And relationships primarily come down to communication. {Matt's Aside: I understand that there are two major leaps in that paragraph, both of which probably demand their own explanation. The will of God for all people is to know His Son Jesus Christ. But this letter was written to people who already do, so now we are talking about the will of God for Christians. The New Testament is clear that the Christian life is about relationships, therefore God's will for us focuses on how we handle our relationships here on Earth. The second leap is that relationships are primarily communication. I'm talking about all levels of communication: verbal, emotional, physical, written. Our relationships are based on interaction, and interaction is communication. If I ever make an assumption that you don't follow, just let me know.} Now, where am I going with this?
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AuthorIf I ever say something in here that doesn't make sense, please ask me to clarify. It always makes sense in my head, but that doesn't necessary mean anything to you . . . Categories
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