When you were a child, did you ever play with silly putty? It’s really amazing stuff! You can roll it, shape it, put it into a mold, or freehand it to make pretty much anything you can imagine. Then, when you are ready to make something new, all you have to do is wad it all up and start over. Fun stuff, indeed!

It’s fun to play games with silly putty, but it is not so much fun to observe the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual calisthenics some individuals jump through to conform themselves. They want so desperately to fit in with the crowd that they are willing to literally change their beliefs and behaviors to conform to the world’s standards. This is happening at an alarming rate in our present cultural and societal setting.

The apostle Paul, in his correspondence with believers in Rome, had much to say about this subject. Read carefully the following:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:1-2, NKJV

Paul uses two words to draw a sharp contrast for his readers: conformed and transformed. First, he cites the negative: Do not be conformed to this world. To be conformed to this world is to be forced into the mold of worldly attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and actions. I googled the word ‘conformity’ and the following definition/explanation was given:

Conformity is the tendency for an individual to align their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors with those of the people around them. It can take the form of overt social pressure or subtler, unconscious influence. Conformity denotes a wide-ranging phenomenon in which people (intentionally or unintentionally) shift their behavior or beliefs to fit in with a larger group.

Wow! Is this not an apt description of what we are seeing in our present cultural state? Are we not witnessing a mass movement in the direction of conformity to the cultural standards which are being accepted as ‘normal behavior’? Mainstream media celebrates and applauds lifestyles that are in direct contrast and opposition to the clear teachings of Scripture. This is something we would expect from non-believers, but it is not something that should be expected from followers of Jesus Christ. However, the trend is clear: Professing believers in Jesus Christ are becoming more and more conformed to cultural standards rather than being transformed by the renewing of their minds by the transformational teaching of the Word of God.

This trend has been steadily increasing for quite a while now, evidenced by the following excerpt from research done by Pew Research Center. The article is entitled, “Most US Christian Groups Grow More Accepting of Homosexuality”.

Acceptance of homosexuality is rising across the broad spectrum of American Christianity, including among members of churches that strongly oppose homosexual relationships as sinful… a majority of U.S. Christians (54%) now say that homosexuality should be accepted, rather than discouraged, by society… Among Christians, this trend is driven partly by younger church members, who are generally more accepting of homosexuality than their elder counterparts. 

Perhaps one reason younger church members are generally more accepting of homosexuality is because they are growing up in a cultural setting in which homosexual relationships are the norm of society. They see nothing wrong with it because it is so common.

But Paul says that we are not to be conformed to the world, but rather we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, bringing all under subjection to the teachings of the Bible. Our conformity is to be to God’s Word, not the ways of the world.

I respect anyone’s right to choose any lifestyle they prefer, but I refuse to be forced into conformity to those that are contrary to the clear teachings of Scripture. My desire is to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ. I have a long way to go, but I choose to remain on the path of Biblical transformation rather than worldly conformity. And, I encourage all who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ to strive to have our minds transformed as we turn to the pages of Scripture for our understanding of God’s ways and will for us.

Blessings!