Do Not Be Conformed

Scripture Texts: Romans 121:1-2

Let me ask for a show of hands.  Who here liked to study and learn about grammar?  Any grammar fans?  Since we all slept through grammar lessons, let me give you a brief grammar lesson.

English has moods or modes, verbal signals the speaker uses to express their attitude or intention for what they are saying, how you want to come across, whether they are stating a fact or opinion, or whether they are making a request or demand.

These two moods or modes are called indicative and imperative.  The indicative mood states a fact, it says this is true.  The imperative says this must be done.

Romans 1-11 were almost entirely in the indicative mood, telling us truth about what God has said or done.  Romans 12-15 are mostly in the imperative mood, moving us from what is true to what should be true.  The imperative flows from indicative, this is true so now do this.

You are not going to like all these imperatives and let me tell you why you aren’t going to like them.  Because we are Americans, and Americans don’t like being told what to do.  It all started with English taxation without representation, and it hasn’t stopped.  There is deep resistance in all of us.

So much so that our world tries to avoid imperatives, our leaders try hard not to use imperatives.  The whole gentle parenting movement is an avoidance of saying no.  And the church in America is no different.

Pastors are afraid of saying do this and don’t do that.  We prefer to speak in the indicative.  Lots of truth without any demands on us.  What to think, but not what to do.

So what are we going to do now that we have come to the imperative section of Romans?  Please don’t take the imperatives for granted, don’t resist or resent being told what to do.  This is God’s Word for the good of our eternal souls.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to us and His church.

Romans 12:1-2 are the introduction for the rest of Romans.  We can set it up like this.

The goal is to present our bodies a living sacrifice to God for His glory.

The motivation for doing this is the Gospel, all the overflowing mercies of God to us.

The obstacle for doing this is the world and our constant conforming to it.

The help for overcoming this obstacle is our transformation by the renewing of our minds.

The result is we will be able to discern the good, acceptable, perfect will of God.

Doesn’t that sound like a desirable outcome?  Don’t resist or ignore or take for granted the imperatives that accomplish all this grace for us.

In our text this morning there are two imperatives, the two commands that are two sides of the same coin, the coin of being a living sacrifice to the glory of God.  We can’t have one without the other.  Do not be conformed, but be transformed.