Conformation vs Transformation

Paul’s epistle to the Romans has been called the apostle’s greatest work. Chosen by God to reach the Gentile world with the gospel of salvation, Paul’s task is anything but easy. To begin with, salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is a new concept, not only to Gentiles, but to Jews themselves. Secondly, Gentiles have persecuted Jews for millennia. To a right-thinking Jewish man, the idea that God would look favorably upon their persecutors is inconceivable. Thirdly, prior to encountering the risen Christ, Saul is a vowed eradicator of Christianity. A highly learned Judaic zealot, Saul was commissioned by the Sanhedrin that crucified Jesus to stump out further spread of the new doctrine. When the first Christian martyr was stoned for preaching a Christian message, Saul stood by, guarding the overcoats of the lynching mob, and approving of their actions.

So, how did the prime enemy of the Church hope to be accepted by those he persecuted? On the other hand, embracing the gospel meant that Saul was now a defector. The authorities that hired him to destroy Christians weren’t going to take betrayal gladly. Whichever way he turned, Saul was an unwelcome figure. He had painted himself into a tight corner! Or had he?

Divine Enablement

New assignment came with a new name. Saul was now Paul. No longer namesake to Israel’s warrior king, Paul was divested of the esteem associated to his former name. What’s more, the convert relinquished a name that meant strength in exchange for one that denotes insignificance! He was no longer Saul the strong, but Paul, a name that means small and humble. To fulfil Christ’s assignment required a strategy that didn’t depend on machismo or public acclaim. Whatever purpose God had for this new man, it wasn’t going to be realized by human effort.

At the time, the Roman empire ruled the world from its headquarters in Rome. Human pride and honor were epitomized in masculinity. Statues of athletic nude men were all over the place. Olympic games obsessed that masculine adoring culture, where males showed off their prowess in public wrestling matches.

It is to such a people that Paul wrote to explain how the Son of God died on a wooden cross to save the world. Crucifixion was an invention of the Roman empire to humiliate and make example of criminals and the least esteemed in society. The brutality of Christ’s crucifixion was carried out by Roman soldiers.

Do you get the picture we are trying to paint here? A man, rejected by his own people and avoided by those whose faith he has embraced, is sent by God to take a message that is utterly ridiculous to its target audiences. Writes he:-

² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. ~Romans 12:2 (MEV)

Let’s pay special attention to two important words used in the passage—conform and transform. Conform means ‘take the shape of.’ To create concrete columns, freshly mixed concrete is poured into a hollow form and left to cure. When the scaffolding form is removed, the concrete that was poured into it has taken the shape of the hollow form. That is how moldings are created. Shapes are replicated by pouring wet material into a hollow mold and given time to dry and cure. That is the process of conformation, i.e., taking the shape of the surrounding form.

Be Transformed, Not Conformed

Transformation is an absolute alteration. Life cycle of insects is a good example of transformation. Metamorphosis is the scientific term for the process. An egg hatches to produce larva. The caterpillar then wraps itself into a cocoon. This pupa develops for a period before the full-grown imago flies out at the end of the cycle. At no stage does the transforming creature look the same. It goes through changes until the processes usher a final product.

Paul uses this imagery to compare natural and spiritual processes. When we are born into the natural world, natural systems around us force us into a worldly shape, so to speak. We talk like the folks in our hood. Our thoughts and behaviors conform to patterns of our everyday exposure. We become one with our environment. We fit in society. If we thought or acted differently, we’d rock the boat and make others uncomfortable. We grow only to the limits of our enclosures.

At the risk of restating obvious and oft rehearsed facts, let me remind you that a potted plant cannot grow to its full potential. Neither can a fish inside a glass aquarium. Similarly, a concrete pillar retains the size and shape to which it was cast. That is the idea carried in Paul’s message. Don’t let yourself be squeezed into a worldly template. Instead, allow the transforming power of your spiritual inheritance recreate you into the person you were intended to be.

Through natural human communities, people conform to fixed profiles. God’s Spirit transforms those who yield to Him into infinite potential. Abraham and Sarah brought forth a child as they neared their centenarian birthdays. Moses, Joshua, Elijah, and Elisha parted waters of seas and rivers to walk on dry ground. Spiritual men lengthened hours of day by making the sun stop in mid sky. Spiritual men walked inside a burning furnace, and another spent a night in a den of lions. Some raised the dead back to life and others were rescued by angels from guarded prisons. Mary gave birth to a son with no human father. Many believers have experienced sudden ability to speak unlearned languages and to see into the invisible. A spiritual person can only be limited by his environment!

Mind Renewal

What is termed ‘mind’ in our reference passage is the soul of man. It comprises intellect, will, and emotions. These three are interlocked. Some people are emotional, others are strong willed, and others are more intellectually attuned. However, the realm of the mind is one unit, regardless of which of the three elements is most prominent. I’ve seen very intelligent people make very poor decisions because their willpower stood in the way. I’ve met very emotional people who empathize with situations to which everyone else is indifferent. Each component of the soul is equally important and should be nurtured accordingly.

Still, we must bear in mind that a human being is no more a soul than he is a body. A human being is a spirit, has a soul, and lives in a physical body. In that sense, a human being, like his Maker, is a trinity. Human spirit is created in the image of God. It has capacity to relate with God and to grow into capabilities that defy natural limitations. The human spirit can speak to God, hear God, and interact with spiritual beings on extraterrestrial realms.

For a potted plant to reach its full potential, it must be transferred to its natural environment. For the fish to reach its zenith, it needs to swim freely in the open sea where it belongs. Similarly, the child of God needs to be exposed to realms of the spirit so s/he can grasp who s/he really is and what is possible for his species.

It’s one thing to be held in a cage, it’s another thing to confine oneself to self-limiting environs. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32 ~MEV) In other words, you are as free as the truth that you know. Only God can tell you who you are, and what you can do through Him. His Truth will transform you when you receive it, believe it, and practice it. On the other hand, you can decide to cling to natural views, language, and proclivities. However much someone may claim to be a Christian while clinging to natural instincts, spiritual realities will remain indistinct to him/her.

Paul calls Gentiles who decide to follow Jesus to learn from his own example. A pharisee who’d attained all the coveted credentials of societal veneration, he discarded worldly strength to embrace God’s ‘small’ because what is strong in the world’s perspective is very weak in God’s perspective, and what is small and insignificant in the eyes of the world is great and admirable in God’s sight. The honor of knowing Jesus surpasses anything the world could offer.

Do not let this evil world shape your outlook. Instead, yield to the Spirit of your heavenly Father and let Him complete the metamorphic process that translates you into a beautiful coheir with Christ your Savior.