Conform to Christ. Transformed by Christ | Romans 12:1-3

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

--Romans 12:2 (LSB)

 

“Conform.”

συσχηματίζω syschēmatízō,; to fashion alike, i.e. conform to the same pattern (figuratively):—conform to, fashion self according to.  This is a present middle imperative meaning this is an ongoing, habitual command given to someone to always do, to always act like. 

 

to conform one's self (i.e. one's mind and character) to another's pattern, (fashion one's self according to)

 

“Transform”

μεταμορφόω metamorphóō, to transform (literally or figuratively, "metamorphose"):—change, transfigure, transform.

 

This book was written to the Roman church in 56AD—58AD.  Remember Paul urges Pheobe to bring this letter to the church in Rome.  He did this because of legal threats and other travel obligations where he wouldn’t be able to make it to Rome. He wrote the letter from Corinth and tells Pheobe, who is a deacon, a servant of the church in Cenchraea, to bring the letters to the churches in Rome.  Emperor Nero ruled the empire but he was not fanatically against Christians yet (that would begin in 64AD).  This was a peaceful time of comfort for Christians in Rome, but with comfort, comes complacency. 

 

Paul didn’t plant these churches, but God is writing scripture through him to help these churches, to bring them back on track, to aid them. 

 

We know from Acts 18:1-2 that the church in Rome had existed for some time and was made up of both Jewish and non-Jewish followers. The crisis for this church began when the Roman emperor Claudius expelled all of the Jewish people from Rome. About five years later, all those Jews, including many who followed Jesus, were allowed to return. When they did, they found a church that had become non-Jewish in its customs and practice. This culture clash created lots of tension, and by Paul’s day, the Roman church was divided. They disagreed about how to follow Jesus, debating about whether non-Jewish Christians should observe the Sabbath, eat kosher, be circumcised, and so on

 

There were also gentile Christians (non-jews) who had become Christ followers, yet they were bringing their cultural customs, beliefs into the church—the people in Rome who called themselves Christ followers were actually not living Christian lives, they were allowing for sin to infect the church, they were staying in the conformity to the patterns of the world instead of the patterns of Christ. 

 

1. Sacrifice yourself to God. Deny yourself to God.  Give your earthly patterns to God.  Live a life pleasing to God. 

 

“Therefore I exhort you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—living, holy, and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

--Romans 12:1

 

Did you know that your body does not belong to you?  It belongs to God?  Your life, your soul, your provisions, your money, your family, your accomplishments, it all belongs to God—God is the author of your life, the king of your life and everything we do in this life must glorify Him and lift Him up. 

 

The Norms of Roman Culture: 

a). Pagan worship, idol worship of different gods including Caesar (the empire), Dionysus, Pan, the gods of mythology such as Jupiter, Venus, Juno and Minerva.

b).  The cast or social systems were discriminatory and real (Elites, Common people, Slaves). 

c). Slander, gossip, backbiting is normal in multiple areas of the culture in Rome. Private, informant networks were starting to become established.  This would eventually turn into the “Frumentarii” which is the Roman equivalent of the secret service—sent out to stir up gossip/ slander to see if anybody is against the Roman Empire (or Christian). 

d). Sexual Immorality was common and rampant.  Prostitution, slave sexual immorality, homosexuality was all common on the day (even some forms of bestiality). 

 

“In any case, it is clear — and, amazingly, such a conspicuous fact has gone virtually unrecognized in earlier scholarship — that native Roman morality did not reproach homosexual behavior itself, so long as it was correctly directed and performed.”

--Bryan Mawr “Classical Review.”

 

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, both His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Romans 1:18 (LSB)

 

God through Paul makes it very clear when people choose themselves, their sins, their pleasures, their human patterns over choosing Him, He will give them over to their lusts, to their desires, to what they can’t give up in order to turn to God.

 

“Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the likeness of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”

Romans 1:22-25 (LSB)

 

Paul names the unrepentant sin occurring in the Roman Church.

 

Homosexuality (Romans 1:26, 27)

Slander, gossip, strife, greed, maliciousness (Romans 1:29)

Prideful, boastful, disobedient to parental authority, arrogant and violent (Romans 1:30)

Untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful, without understanding (Romans 1:31)

 

Then Paul focuses on the solution to that sin, the salvation work of God through the God/Man Jesus Christ. 

 

“For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”

Romans 5:17 (LSB)

 

 

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

Romans 6:1-4 (LSB)

 

2. God is pleased when His people worship Him. Spiritual gifts are given to the church to empower the service of God’s people to God and to each other. 

 

“For through the grace given to me I say to each one among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound thinking, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”

Romans 12:3 (LSB)

 

Who are we to boast when our faith itself is a gift from God?  This is offered as a correction to the churches in Rome who are boastful in what they are doing but what they are doing is displeasing to God and goes against His commands.  Be careful not to be prideful.  Be careful in thinking the work you are doing for God is because you are so great.  Be careful in thinking the gift(s) God has given you is a special superpower for you to get glory from—the gifts are given to the church so that we can serve God and serve one another.

 

 

--King Josiah was a boy king (8 years old) when he was first appointented King of Judah.  He reigned for 31 years.  Judah was rebellious because of King Mannessah allowing the false priests of Baal and Asherah to practice their religion in Judah.  Mannessah was Josiah’s Grandfather and Amon was Josiah’s father.  

--Josiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord (2 Kings 22:2)

--In the 18^th year of Josiah’s reign, he raised money to rebuild God’s temple and the high priest, Hilkiah, found God’s word, God’s law in the temple.  After hearing God’s law read out loud Josiah tears his clothes in grief. (2 Kings 22:10-11).

--Josiah called for national repentance in Judah, demanded that God’s word be read out loud to the people, observed Passover once again, cleaned God’s temple of all pagan worship and destroyed the high places of pagan worship (including the killing of the pagan priests).  Josiah pleased God by cleaning His house, by calling for repentance back to the one true God, and focusing on God alone. 

 

“Now it happened that when the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, “Go, inquire of Yahweh for me and the people and all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found, for great is the wrath of Yahweh which is set aflame against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”

2 Kings 22:11-13 (LSB)

 

 

“Now it happened that when the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, ‘Go, inquire of Yahweh for me and the people and all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found, for great is the wrath of Yahweh which is set aflame against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us. because your heart was soft and you humbled yourself before Yahweh when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become an object of horror, and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,’ declares Yahweh.”

2 Kings 22:11-13, 19 (LSB)

 

 

 

 

Rosaria Butterfield’s Story:

In 1999, Rosaria Champagne Butterfield was a tenured English professor at Syracuse University, a skeptic of all things Christianity, and in a committed lesbian relationship. Her academic specialty was Queer Theory, a postmodern form of gay and lesbian studies.

 

A pastor who lived on her street led a local Reformed Presbyterian Church and he would frequently invite her over for coffee, meals and conversation.  She denied many invitations but as their relationship grew, Rosaria, started to read her bible. She explains her testimony in an article about how her soul started to become attracted to God’s word and how God’s word started to replace her current identity, how she viewed herself.  She eventually left her lesbian partner, left her homosexuality, got married, now is raising a family (both biological and adopted/ foster). 

 

Today Butterfield is a mother of four, a homemaker, and wife of a Presbyterian pastor named Kent. They live in Durham, North Carolina.

 

“When we live unashamed of the gospel, we apply God’s appointed means of grace with consistency and intensity.  Their faithful parents need our love and help and fellowship, not scorn or rejection or suspicion. We pray with Bibles open, feasting on the word of God, reading whole books at a time, and memorizing as much as we can.  God can deliver, and does deliver, people out of homosexuality by the power of his grace and Christ’s work on the cross — people like me.”

--Rosaria Butterfield