Conformed or Transformed?

This item was written by my dear friend Doug Dodd (now in glory). It speaks to the effect of our new life in Christ as opposed to religion and human effort.

Eph 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Are you being conformed or transformed? Conformation takes place from the outside, it is caused by external pressures. For example a person gets “saved” and joins a local church. Most of the time this person begins to take on the characteristics of that assembly, whatever that may be. They in effect become “conformed” to the personality of that church.

This is exactly the wrong way to become what God has made us in Christ. Conformation makes one ACT like a Christian rather than being transformed into one.

Transformation takes place from the inside. It is the work of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit in the believer.

The problem is that this transformation CANNOT take place without the application of the Word of God “rightly divided”. You will not be transformed by a steady diet of Matthew-John. It is within the Pauline epistles alone that you will find the doctrine, duty and destiny of the Church the body of Christ.

Approved of God

It is tragic that many believers are driven by the same mindset of the unconverted – they think they can earn God’s acceptance through their works. While many understand that it is “not through works we have done” in regards to positional righteousness, they still believe that their works will impress God in place of practical righteousness. The scripture says that there is no respect of persons with God – but the believer finds His respect by the virtue of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ and our identification with Him.

(Eph 1:3-6) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: {4} According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: {5} Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, {6} To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved."

It is a fact that no man could ever earn God’s acceptance. However, it is essential that believers carefully study the scriptures in order to understand what life choices, and avenues of service, would be pleasing to God. (2 Tim 2:15) "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." The scriptures must be “rightly divided” in order to discover the means and ways a believer can acceptably demonstrate his “approved” status before God.

For example; we live in the Dispensation of the Grace of God (Ephesians 3) and not under the Mosaic Law (Romans 6:14). There is nothing found in the law, applied in this dispensation, that God would ever approve of. The Law is not made for a righteous man (1 Timothy 1:9) and any message that would imply otherwise is an “accursed” gospel (Galatians 1). We are to live our lives rooted in the indwelling life of the Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:20). It is not our life but His. This truth is found in the writings of the Apostle Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles. He revealed the preaching of Jesus Christ according to “the revelation of the mystery” as opposed to the Hebrew, prophesied Gospel of the Kingdom. Two messages and two programs, both vastly different in content and application, and when they are intermingled produce confusion and defeat.

Let’s purpose to live according to our new identity “in Christ” and demonstrate our “acceptance in the beloved” as we study, and apply, the Word of truth “rightly divided.”

Character and the Believer

People often imagine that God is manipulating circumstances in their life to mature, or direct them. God doesn't use circumstances to create character in the life of believers - He uses the life of His Son in the believer to accomplish this (see Galatians 2:20; Romans 5:1-5; Romans 8:6-11).

Notice in Romans 5 it says "tribulation worketh patience." It doesn't necessarily follow that tribulation “produces” patience. Circumstances serve as the catalyst to provoke the character inherent in each of us because of our new identity in Christ, and by His life in us. Patience is an attribute of the believer who is standing in the provision and power of grace and there is no circumstance, however trying, that could produce this element of character.

It could be said, by way of illustration, that circumstantial difficulties are the canvas upon which the glorious palette of grace can be painted. God doesn’t extract the believer from hard times; He has equipped him to conquer them.

(Rom 8:35-37) "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? {36} As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. {37} Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."