IT'S NOT WORTH IT: BE NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD

Conforming with the world brought about the downfall of lot’s family. Lot was the nephew of Abraham, when he left Abraham with his family and flocks, he pitched his tent towards sodom (Genesis 13:12). This paints a picture of a compromising Christian who because of a situation with a brother or sister or even his local assembly decided to leave and pitch his tent in the world. He eventually became a prisoner of the devil just like lot ended up being taken prisoner in the battles that were fought by the kings of the east against Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 14:12). Instead of learning his lesson, lot became even more conformed to Sodom. By Genesis 19:1, he is sitting in the gate of Sodom i.e. he has become a recognized member of the community. The story of lot ends tragically with the loss that he suffered when God destroyed the two cities because of their sinfulness. Although he survived, his wife turned into a pillar of salt when she looked back longing at Sodom, and his two daughters who had imbibed the immorality of Sodom became vile with the sin of incest.

Conformity with the world brought about the downfall of Israel during the time of the judges. The world that Israel faced was the world of the Canaanites who had their own idolatrous culture, customs and practices. Before the Israelites entered Canaan, God had already warned them not to be conformed to the Canaanites, but to keep themselves separate from the Canaanites, “When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; Take heed to thyself that thou not snared by the following them, after that they destroyed from before thee, and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire of their gods.” (Deuteronomy 12:29-31). Despite the serious warning, Israel conformed to the Canaanites not long after Joshua died, and the Lord had to chastise His people by bringing other nations to oppress them.

In the New Testatment, conforming with the world brought about the downfall of a person named Demas. Demas was one of Paul’s fellow workers at home. His name is found in the greetings that Paul conveyed in two of his epistles (Colossians 4:14 and Philemon 24). But the other verse where Demas is mentioned after the gives us a brief but sad comment about him; 2nd Timothy 4:10 says, “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica.” Having seen the danger of being conformed to the world, let us consider what exactly, we should not be conformed to in this world. When God’s word instructs us to “be not conformed to this world.” It is referring to the world system of sin, Pride, pleasure and power that sinful man has built up under Satan. It would include materialism.

This is why you must be careful with your thought life. Whatever thoughts you allow your mind to dwell on will make an impact on your life. How can you develop renewed mind? By allowing the word of God to dominate and full your thoughts as much as possible. “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” (Psalm 1:2). “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8). If you invest much of your time in the word of God by reading it, studying it, talking and thinking about it, your thinking will change. Your selfish and worldly thought processes will be replaced by new ones that are conformed to the mind of Christ Himself.

Finally, if we still are not convinced and still believe we cannot love the world and God simultaneously, Jesus makes another point, keep in mind, even if you love the world, the world does not love you, as He says in John 15:18-19, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you, If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” We are not orphans but rather citizens of another kingdom, Heaven. And when the time is ripe, Paul said our Saviour, “...shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body...” (Philippians 3:20-22). That is worth focusing on.

God bless you. See you next month.