Be Transformed

March 19th, 2025
by Lance Waldie

Romans 12:2b Do not be conformed… but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Whereas v. 1 issues an urgent plea for Christians to offer themselves to God, v. 2 issues two complementary commands on how Christians should offer themselves to God. First, by way of a negative command, Christians are told to not “conform” (Gr. suschēmatizō) to this world, that is, to be molded by the world’s evil ways. The middle voice of the verb can be either middle or passive. If middle, then “no longer conform yourself”; if passive, then “no longer be conformed by.” If the middle voice is chosen, then conformity to this evil world can be shunned by choosing to shun it. If the passive voice is chosen, then staying alert to evil is essential. Either way, Paul’s context is a plea to Christians to remain unstained by the wicked influence of this present darkness. The verb tense is a command for Christians to habitually stop conforming to the world.

Following the conviction to stop being conformed to the world, a true Christian will follow the command to be “transformed” (Gr. metamorphoō). This term occurs in two other contexts in the NT. First, in Matthew 17:2 where Jesus is transfigured before the disciples (cf. Mark 9:2). Second, in 2 Corinthians 3:18 where Christians are said to be transformed into Christ’s likeness by beholding the glory of God. In Romans 12:2 Paul is obviously speaking of a transformation that transcends any superficial change that pseudo-Christians make in order to take some kind of solace in convincing themselves that their salvation is real. On the contrary, genuine change comes from within and concerns radical life-changing transformation.

Christians must not forget what Paul said in Romans 7-8, namely that transformation is not accomplished by oneself. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that believers can overcome conformity to the world and be transformed by the renewing of their minds. Under the Spirit’s power believers are able to yield themselves to God and allow their “minds” to be “renewed” by Him—the “mind” (nous) referring to intelligence and understanding. Now since the mind is what is renewed at salvation, man’s sinful depravity concerns the mind (Rom. 5:12-13) which is utterly depraved prior to salvation (3:9-18). But when God sovereignly saves those dead in their sins and trespasses, He makes their human minds alive to receive Christ (Eph. 2:1-10). They are then given a regenerated mind and the ability to grow in spiritual understanding.

The initial renewing of the depraved mind is solely God’s work—the work of the Holy Spirit. It is what makes a Christian a Christian (cf. Titus 3:5). In the OT God promised He would renew His people by removing their hearts of stone and putting His Spirit within them by metaphorically sprinkling clean water on them (Ezek. 36:25-27; cf. John 3:5; 1 John 5:6-7). So, it is God’s word, manifested by the Spirit, that renews the depraved mind of mankind. True Christians, those renewed by God, are thus able to be continually transformed by daily renewing their already renewed minds through a steady diet of God’s word. After all, it is God’s word, written by the Spirit of God to give life to the spiritually dead, that is responsible for renewing God’s people and for keeping them renewed. Genuine believers feed on it regularly.

Food For Thought
As Christians, we are citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20). Our minds are thus to be concerned with heavenly matters, not earthly ones (Col. 3:2). The present world is evil with its twisted value system and unholy ideals. Since Christ gave Himself to deliver His people from it (Gal. 1:4), Christians are not to be tangled up in it. The Church of Jesus Christ, salt and light to the world (Matt. 5:13-14), is set apart from the world and not to be culturally identified or confused with it. So let us stand out as lights in the darkness, exhibiting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.