Under pressure to conform to the world

And don’t be conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind… Romans 12:2a

This means that the world is trying to conform you to it. There is a spiritual force in the world which continually applies pressure on you to make you bend in conformity to it. Like the JB Philips version says, Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold.

Firstly we have to …present our bodies a living sacrifice to God (Rom 12:1) and then …be transformed by the renewing of our mind... (Rom 12:2), in that order.

There is a REAL spiritual power which pressures Christians to conform to the world’s values, standards, morality, principles and thinking. It’s powerful.

The same devil who tempts you also took the LORD Jesus up into a mountain and tried to tempt Him by offering Him the world.

Yet, this same LORD Jesus who overcame sin, the world and the devil, lives in us, His redeemed, and He is our only hope to stand.

We acknowledge the pressure bearing down on Christians to conform to the way everyone else thinks and does things is powerful and very real. (Perhaps the majority of christendom has already buckled under that pressure, and now they are not much different to unbelievers, except for the Christian jargon.)

But more importantly we acknowledge the transforming, and uplifting power of the LORD Jesus to conform us to Him.

And this is done thru the renewing of our minds, which transforms us, …that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. – That’s the goal. Very simple. He just wants you to know what His perfect will is, and do it.

Proven under the pressures of life. Proven means experiential – you’re LIVING IT, that’s how you know and understand His good and perfect will.