All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
Cultural Tension for the Believer
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Here lies the tension we all feel. Our theology is defined by Jesus, but our lives are defined by some other lord. Indeed. Much of today’s world, especially the American version enacts the ‘live now and accumulate all you can in terms of wealth, pleasure, sexual experience, luxury, privilege, and fun, and when you die, you get to go to heaven, too, and do it all over again, except better’. I believe our story has been co-opted.1 Permit me to illustrate Romans 12.2 in several different translations—quite interesting. “Do not conform 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.” NIV “Don’t become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants—what is good, pleasing, and perfect.” God’s Word Translation “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.” J.B.Phillips And from the paraphrase The Message: “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” To view more translations: http://www.biblegateway.com ; What was the context of this verse when Paul wrote it? Paul was in Corinth, writing to the church at Rome, where he was longing to go, but had not yet been. The Romans viewed religion as a social activity that promoted unity and loyalty to the Roman state, rather than the God of Creation. Enter the Christian gospel—Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.”2 Christians would not bow their knees to Caesar as lord, so Rome viewed them as subversive. To be sure, Jesus’ message was opposed to much of what Rome represented—power, position, greed, immorality, conformity to the culture. In short, Rome was much like our culture today. And Rome was hostile to Christianity; under the rule of Nero, Christians were executed for sport—human torches used to light Nero’s parties. Paul writes to his fellow believers from Greece, (Corinth is about 48 miles west of Athens)3, saying, ‘My Christian brothers, be different—don’t just be the same as the pagans among whom you live. Stand out. Pledge allegiance to Jesus Christ alone; it might cost you, but you will reap blessings through eternity.’ Do not conform, be transformed. So, you say, ‘Okay, how does one become transformed?’ Here are some ways to have your mind renewed: 1. Be transformed by immersing yourself in understanding and applying God’s Word in your life. Ask God to speak to you from his word. 2. Invite the Holy Spirit to remake you! Paul again, “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God — truly righteous and holy.”3 3. Be transformed by becoming part of an intimate body of like-minded believers. It is in authentic community we find accountability and encouragement. “A cord of three strands is not easily broken.”5 Do you have a fellowship that will pray with you and for you? Hmmm . . . Do you participate in anything that fits the ‘irons sharpens iron’ quotient in your life? ‘As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.’6 These ways help us break out of the mold of our culture and move into a pattern of positive change and growth, one that is honoring to God. 1 http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2011/spring/breakingmold.html?s...; 2 John 14.6 3 www.sacred-destinations.com ; 4 Ephesians 4:21-24 NLT 5 Ecclesiastes 4.12 6 Proverbs 27.17 Another source – www. Religionfacts.com |
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