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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Be Transformed

Romans 12:2 "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

We are not to look around at the world and set our standards relative to what we see.
If we catch ourselves saying "But they've done worse," we've already made a mistake. We are not to be led or influenced by what this world has to offer. We're to be blameless; "good and acceptable and perfect" to God. This doesn't mean we must be infallible, but that we must strive to be God-like in our ways. Doing all things that we do for the glory of God.
If someone of the world steals, say, a $300 phone from a store, that doesn't make stealing a $0.20 package of gum less wrong for us. If someone of the world gets angry and kills someone, that doesn't make holding a 'harmless' grudge less wrong for us. If someone of the world cusses profanely, that doesn't make a minor slip of the tongue less wrong for us (i don't necessarily believe cussing to be a sin, but if we feel we shouldn't, then that makes it sin--at least that's my interpretation of James 4:17). If someone of the world is a habitual liar, that doesn't makes make a dishonest answer less wrong for us. If has relations with a dozen people, that doesn't make an inappropriate glance any less wrong for us.
Sin is sin; what sin is greater than another, if all have the power to condemn us? No, it's us condemning ourselves by letting ourselves sin.

So don't look around to find your moral compass; the poles have shifted and you will find no definitive "north" in this world. Look to the Bible, find the absolutes. Then look inside and find what you convict yourself of as well. Only by living by standards of the Bible and piling our own convictions upon ourselves along with the Biblical ones can we live a good and acceptable and perfect life.


For musical accompaniment, there's a song called "Not The Same" by a band called Disciple (that's a link to the Youtube video of it, by the way).
I don't recommend it unless you like heavy music . . . Like, really heavy music. Great, relevant lyrics, just and unappealing musical styles unless you have an aggressive taste in music.

1 comment:

  1. wonderfully written Josh, the only thing is living a perfect life, we can come realll close, but no one was or will be perfect except Jesus when He lived on this earth. He was sin free, we all sin and fall short, but we strive to be a close as possible every day,,loved this Josh love you,,are you thinkin bout us goin out and witnessing? wow the board walk the new one in galveston,,that would be awesome, but we have to practice first,,heeee

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