8/25/22
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
Romans 12:1-2, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed (or fashioned) to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
This message is about the reluctance of man, even Christian man, to change, but the necessity for all born-from-above Christians to change.
From Jeremiah 48:11, "Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed."
By definition, "lees" represents the most worthless part or parts of something; for example, the sediment of wine in a barrel. Because Moab settled on his most worthless part (self), he represents a carnal Christian,
Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria.
Amos 6:1
The mountain of Samaria speaks of a mixture.
Reluctance to change is widely accepted by the field of psychology as a phenomenon of people. Max Planck, who received a Nobel prize in 1918 for discovery of the revolutionary quantum theory in physics, once stated:
"This experience gave me also an opportunity to learn a fact - a remarkable one in my opinion: A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it."
Christians are NOT immune to reluctance to change, which also is thoroughly documented in many scriptures. "We have always done things this way" is an often-used expression, both in the world and in Christian circles. I have heard a number of rather mature ministries say, "I know God put me into this specific ministry in this place." My comment is "fine, I agree, but did God tell you to stay there forever?"
A striking example of reluctance to change is recorded in Acts 10 with Peter. The Lord had arranged for Peter to visit and preach the gospel to Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian band. Up to that point in time, Peter was convinced that the good news was only for Jews. Peter also believed that no good Jew should ever eat anything that was common or unclean. After all, that was the law as given through Moses. Peter had a vision, or trance, of a certain vessel descending unto him, like a great sheet let down to earth, wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. Then Peter heard the voice of the Lord to him, saying, in Acts 10:13-16,
13 Rise, Peter; kill and eat.14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
When the messengers from Cornelius knocked at the door, the Spirit told Peter to go with them. The end result was that Cornelius and all of his house were saved, baptized in the Spirit, and baptized in water.
As with most topics, we do well to look at the life of Jesus on earth, as recorded in scripture. The religious elite of the day branded Jesus as a reactionary, a revolutionary, a heretic. FIVE times, in Matthew 5, Jesus said:
Ye have heard ... But I say unto you ... Matthew 5:21, 27, 33, 38, 43
The religious elite of the day bristled as they heard Jesus say things that seemed to be contradictory to the law, as given through Moses. When Jesus was healing people, working all sorts of miracles, and feeding people with natural food, He was generally well-received, at least by the common people. The religious elite of the day objected strenuously when Jesus healed anyone on the Sabbath day because that was contrary to "their" law.
Jesus also came saying some words hard to be understood. His words were greatly MIS-understood. The major turning point in the ministry of Jesus on earth is recorded in John 6. In that chapter, Jesus said some things that NO man understood.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.38 For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me.41 The Jews then murmured at Him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. John 6:35, 38, 41
Note in John 6:41 that the Jews murmured at Him. From there, Jesus went on to say some even harder words.
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, this is an hard saying; who can hear it?61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? John 6:53, 56, 60-61
Now note that in John 6:60-61 His disciples murmured at Him. The more that Jesus spoke in the spiritual realm, the more opposition arose. It is the same TODAY! As a result,
From that time many of the disciples went back, and walked no more with Him.
John 6:66
The carnal man, with his natural reasoning, sooner or later will depart from the Lord.
The words "conform" and "transform" sound somewhat the same, and both words imply a change, but there is a striking difference in meaning, which is magnified in the Scriptures, as we will see shortly.
In the natural realm, "conform" means to comply with rules, standards, or laws; to behave according to socially acceptable conventions or standards: "the pressure to conform" follow convention, tradition, or custom; follow the crowd; run with the pack; be similar in form or type; agree.
Conformity is the act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group norms or being like-minded. Norms are implicit, specific rules, shared by a group of individuals, that guide their interactions with others. Codes of conduct are a form of conformity, an external form or fashion. People often choose to conform to society rather than to pursue personal desires, because it is easier to follow the path others have made already, rather than forging a new one. However, Jeremiah 50:8 tells us to "remove from the midst of Babylon and be as the he-goats before the flocks."
The company that a person chooses to keep becomes a direct reflection of the success that they are able to achieve. Students might find that conformity leads them to smoke or use drugs against their will because they want to be accepted by their peer group. That can lead to health issues and poor grades.
The fear of social rejection is something that most people face at least once in their lives. It creates a feeling that compels you to blindly follow the people that you want to have like you. The moment that you express an opinion in front of a group that doesn't agree with what the majority believes is right, then there is a good chance that negative influences will be placed upon you to change your mind. If you succumb to this pressure, then the emotional reaction increases the chances of depression forming over time.
The actions of groups to make individuals conform also creates a dangerous issue because it forces a loss of personal identity. Although conformity in society encourages individuals to make changes that bring them closer to the majority, this process rarely enhances society.
Conformity can lead to dependence. This process often occurs without the person even giving it a second thought. Conformity often leads to apathy and encourages a lack of diversity. People filter toward groups that make them feel comfortable.
From the moment of natural birth, we are subjected to conformity. Peer pressures, at all ages, is a very powerful force which we have to deal with, one way or another. Someone once said that we are born an original and die a copy. Certainly, we are born an original. Although all people share some common attributes, God made each person to be unique. Our fingerprints, as well as many other characteristics, are unique. I have read and heard that not even two snowflakes are identical. Even identical twins are different in some ways. Whether or not we die a copy depends largely upon decisions we make in life.
People do not like to appear to be "different." We like to blend in with the crowd. There seems to be an idea of safety in a crowd. We like to wear the same type of dress; have the same type of hair-do; have the same type of life styles; drive relatively new cars; have the same work habits. Tall people want to appear shorter; short people want to appear taller; thin people want to be heavier; heavy-set people want to be thinner. Many women (and some men) like to maintain the styles of the day. These are just a few examples of conformity to the world.
When Samuel, a great prophet, was old,
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 1 Samuel 8:4-5
ALL of the elders wanted to be like all the other nations and have a natural king to rule over them. But Israel was not called to be like all the other nations. They were to be a special people, set apart unto God. Nevertheless, God honored their request and gave them a natural king, Saul. The Lord told Samuel,
Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
1 Samuel 8:7
This was the beginning of disaster for the nation of Israel. From that time forward, the nation of Israel was on a sure path of decline, which finally culminated in the rejection of Jesus as the King of the Jews. Just before the crucifixion of Jesus, the Jews said,
Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.
John 19:15
Unfortunately, from the moment of spiritual birth (being born again), we are still subjected to conformity. There is no such thing as instant maturity.
And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. 1 Samuel 15:24
As Christians, we adopt the dress code, the language, the mannerisms, and the doctrinal beliefs of those in our local fellowship. We quickly learn all of the right words to say. We want to be conformed to the body! This is fleshy baggage that has been carried over from the world. From my experience, a relatively large part of Christian doctrine that is handed down from one generation to the next is based upon the tradition of men, not the revelation given through the Holy Spirit. This is true for even the BEST of Christian fellowships. How else do you explain the great multitude of different denominations and non-denominations?
During the "hey day" years of the house church in Annandale-Springfield, Virginia, from about 1969-1980, an emphasized teaching was the safety or "covering" provided by the body of Christ. Well, toward the early part of that time period, the Lord revealed a verse in Isaiah that says something different.
And He discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest. Isaiah 22:8
What is the armour of the house of the forest? the body of believers, no less! Then, in
Isaiah 22:11, "but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto Him that fashioned it long ago."
We do not get our direction from the body! We get our direction from the Head! The Lord Himself is our covering. Can you imagine the reaction of Christians today if the Lord were to speak the same word to someone that He spoke to Isaiah, who walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder (Isaiah 20:2-3)? How would we react if we saw a brother, like Hosea, who married a harlot (Hosea 1:2)?
In the Scriptures, conformity is from the root word "schema," meaning outward fashion, one thing fashioned as another. Philippians 2:8 says of our Lord, "being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
1 Peter 1:14-16 reads, "As obedient children, not fashioning (or conforming) yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
Such conforming to outward standards is transitory, unstable, and changeable, just as fashions are. The word is never used in the Bible to describe moral transformation or conversion. Actions, conventions, behaviors and manner of life which are nothing more than external expectations and codes ignore the reality that those standards will be short-lived unless there is fundamental transformation within. Lasting standards of conduct arise from within by the power of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 7:31 says, "For the fashion of this world is passing away."
Biblical transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit. No one can be a Christian merely by conforming to Christian codes of conduct. We become a Christian by the work of God transforming us from within, through faith in the substitutionary death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
If we are not to be conformed to the world and not to be conformed to the body as a Christian, wherein does our conformity lie? to the Lord Jesus Christ!
Transform means to change in form, appearance, or structure; to change in condition, nature, or character. Thus, transformation occurs internally. Transformation can be illustrated by the world of electronics. A transformer is an electronic device which transfers electric energy from one circuit to another such that the frequency of the energy remains unchanged while the voltage and current usually change. The transformer on a toy train set uses the same household electricity that powers a heavy-duty washing machine by transforming the energy so that the electricity is tame enough to run little street lights and engines in the layout. The integrity of the energy is the same; it is just the application of the energy which changes to meet the need.
When new life is planted within someone by God's grace, a "metamorphosis" takes place. New life, eternal life starts within. The new nature of a born-from-above Christian also will be unmistakable to others.
Biblical transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit. No one can be a Christian merely by conforming to Christian codes of conduct. We become a Christian by the work of God transforming us from within, through faith in the substitutionary death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
If we are not to be conformed to the world and not to be conformed to the body as a Christian, wherein does our conformity lie? to the Lord Jesus Christ!
Transform means to change in form, appearance, or structure; to change in condition, nature, or character. Thus, transformation occurs internally. Transformation can be illustrated by the world of electronics. A transformer is an electronic device which transfers electric energy from one circuit to another such that the frequency of the energy remains unchanged while the voltage and current usually change. The transformer on a toy train set uses the same household electricity that powers a heavy-duty washing machine by transforming the energy so that the electricity is tame enough to run little street lights and engines in the layout. The integrity of the energy is the same; it is just the application of the energy which changes to meet the need.
When new life is planted within someone by God's grace, a "metamorphosis" takes place. New life, eternal life starts within. The new nature of a born-from-above Christian also will be unmistakable to others.
For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29
The Greek word "conformed" is "summorphos," which means inner, complete change as well as outer conformity.
That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death. Philippians 3:10
This does NOT give us license to be a rebel! But if you see someone who is NOT conforming to your body of believers, do not hastily brand them as a rebel. We need to see more than the external appearance. We also need to be aware of their previous experiences and to observe the fruit of their life. To what body was Moses submissive to? None! Moses was submissive to the Lord. The majority of the Pharisees, the religious elite of the day, undoubtedly branded Jesus as a reactionary, a rebel, and/or a heretic. To what body was Jesus submissive to? None! Jesus was always perfectly submissive to the Father. Even Jesus Himself "learned obedience by the things which He suffered" (Hebrews 5:8).
We need to get our priorities straight. The objective is for us to learn perfect obedience and submission to the Lord Jesus. Why do you think there are numerous verses that say we should submit one to another, that a wife should submit to her husband as unto the Lord, that we should submit ourselves to every ordinance of man, and that the younger should submit to the elder? to allow a spirit of submission and obedience to the Lord to be formed within us.
He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 1 John 4:20
Could we also say that he who cannot submit to his brother whom he hath seen, how can he submit to the Lord whom he hath not seen?
We NEED, as new believers, to see a human being who is a loving pastor, UNTIL such time as we see that the LORD is our Shepherd. When we are a child, we need a different approach than when we become a man. There is nothing static about being a Christian. As one good brother put it, many years ago, He is bringing us from total flesh to total Spirit. We SHOULD be a different person every day, being changed from glory to glory.
Now there IS such a thing as a rebel. A rebel is one who has never learned to submit to any man, someone who scorns the authority of man.
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. Romans 13:1-2
The rebel within mankind yearns to be non-conformist. Sadly, we knew a number of young men who were rebels in their youth. They never allowed the Lord to work His obedient, submissive Spirit within them. We CANNOT play "leap frog" with God. We may be able to skip one or more grades in a natural school, but we CANNOT skip a grade in the school of the Spirit. We cannot bypass the ways that God has ordained for us to learn obedience and submission. Any attempt on our part to play "leap frog" will result in undue suffering. There is enough suffering when we are walking humbly with our God. Why suffer for our own misdirected ways?
One final example of change, from John 21:1-6.
1 After these things Jesus shewed Himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed He Himself.2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.6 And He said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
First of all, we might ask why this Chapter, John 21, was added to the already finished gospel. The last two verses in Chapter 20 seem to be a natural ending point. The event in John 21 (of catching 153 great fishes) is not called a miracle. However, John 21:14 states that this was the THIRD time that Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after that He was risen from the dead.
... that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Matthew 18:16
"Three" in Scripture speaks of and confirms resurrection life in Christ Jesus. Perhaps Chapter 21 was added to demonstrate once and for all the reality of the resurrection of Jesus.
Let us not try to interpret the verses in John 21 strictly in the natural realm. It makes no sense to the natural mind that there would be NO fish on one side of the boat and a super abundance of fish 20 feet or so to the right. I believe that Jesus used this real-life example to try to illustrate some significant spiritual points.
The seven disciples (in verse 2) had gone fishing, based on their own logical reasoning, at NIGHT, which technically was the best time for fishing. But they caught nothing! At morning, Jesus told them to cast on the right side of the ship and they would find fish. There is NOTHING in the scripture that indicates that the seven disciples had NEVER cast their net on the right side during the night. Since they had caught NOTHING, we would assume that they had cast the net on BOTH sides of the boat, looking, somewhat anxiously, for fish. What made the difference? It was hearing the word of Jesus and being obedient to His word!
It is the same with us today. All of our efforts, even though properly motivated, to accomplish anything through our logical reasoning, our minds, common sense, or our own efforts, will produce NOTHING! We must likewise hear the word of the Lord for ourselves and be obedient to His word. In John 21:6, Jesus told the disciples to cast the net on the RIGHT side of the ship. In scripture, the left signifies the flesh and the right signifies the spiritual side.
And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
Matthew 25:33
Furthermore, the RIGHT side of the ship is WHATEVER side the Lord tells us to choose. The natural man chooses the WRONG side.
Now let us consider John 21:11, which says that the disciples caught 153 great fishes. The disciples caught the fish from the sea. The sea refers to the world; the fish refer to men. Jesus told His disciples, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19). Now, why 153 rather than some other number, say 152 or 154? Obviously, the number 153 has some significance. We have read several different interpretations, but we do not have any specific revelation from the Lord about this number. However, the number 153 undoubtedly refers to what Jesus said in John 12:32, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Matthew 24:14
Therefore, the number 153 probably signifies that one day men of all nations will be gathered together to Jesus Christ. We must be fishers of men, but it must be by the direction of the Lord!
Symbolizing abundance, 153 may also represent an overflow blessing from God. The Bible states the disciples marvelled at the fact that their net held together even though it contained so many large fish (John 21:11)!
Further, the catching of 153 fish happened only after Christ became involved in the work. This is a subtle reminder that without Christ any believer's attempts to accomplish something great on their own will fail, but that with Jesus all things are possible
(John 15:5).
Lastly, the 153 fishes remind us of a previously abundant catch Peter, Andrew, James and John experienced when they were first called to follow Christ and become fishers of men (and not food). Given the disciples were trying to go back to their pre-conversion employment when the miracle occurred, it likely reminded them that they now worked for God whose will it still was for them to catch men and not fish.
We should also note that Jesus (in John 21:9) had already prepared fish and bread for the seven disciples to eat. Jesus said, "I have meat to eat that ye know not of" (John 4:32). We must eat from the table of the Lord, then feed His sheep (as Jesus told Peter three times in John 21:15-17).
Peter said, in 1 Peter 2:2, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby."
But the question before more mature believers is: Children, have you any meat?
Lastly, the 153 fishes remind us of a previously abundant catch Peter, Andrew, James and John experienced when they were first called to follow Christ and become fishers of men (and not food). Given the disciples were trying to go back to their pre-conversion employment when the miracle occurred, it likely reminded them that they now worked for God whose will it still was for them to catch men and not fish.
We should also note that Jesus (in John 21:9) had already prepared fish and bread for the seven disciples to eat. Jesus said, "I have meat to eat that ye know not of" (John 4:32). We must eat from the table of the Lord, then feed His sheep (as Jesus told Peter three times in John 21:15-17).
Peter said, in 1 Peter 2:2, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby."
But the question before more mature believers is: Children, have you any meat?
John 21:5
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:14
Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work. John 4:34
In summary ... A major characteristic of our walk as Christians is (or at least should be) change. There is nothing static about Christianity. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever; but we better be changing!
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:18
The closer we walk with the Lord ... the more we allow the Holy Spirit to reveal His Truth to us ... the more we allow the Holy Spirit to change us into His image, the more we will be misunderstood and the more difficult it will be for us to try to explain to others what we have experienced. Anyone who really seeks only the will of God is a person who marches to a different drummer.
Colossians 1:9-10, "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That (in order that) ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;"
One more time, from
Romans 12:1-2, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed (or fashioned) to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Amen and amen.
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