Pastor Phil A.

Newton, A Living Sacrifice, part 2 1

A Living Sacrifice
Part 2
Romans 12:1-2
May 2, 2010

I watched the little creature scurry with quick, jerking movements. It froze when it
caught sight of me. Its throat swelled, glaring with a reddish tinge. Then it did the most
amazing thing. Its body turned from the pale green of the grass where it had emerged into
a brown to match the weathered wood plank porch. Attempting to blend into the porch
unnoticed, the chameleon hoped that I would not see him and make any move to catch
him. If he had not been scurrying across I probably would not have noticed him now that
his outward appearance resembled his new background.
We’re all familiar with these little lizards, as they seem to make their way among
humans. So distinct is their outward change that we’ve coined their name as an adjective
to describe the person who let’s the influences around him determine his behavior. We
might say, ‘He’s such a chameleon!’ Of course, that’s no compliment! It means that such
a person allows other things to shape and form his life; he lacks steadiness and
consistency that we can respect.
Paul has something of that same image in mind as he exhorts Christians to no longer
be conformed to the world—or to use our image, to no longer be colored by the world.
Yet this was no new problem in Paul’s day nor was it novel to the Roman believers.
We find the world’s shaping, coloring influence throughout the pages of Old Testament
narratives, e.g. Lot, Judah, Aaron and Miriam, and Gideon. We could go on. Judas
betrayed Jesus for material gain; Peter denied Jesus out of fear of the world; Demas left
Paul due to love for the present age.
We live under constant influence. Pressure is exerted on us from every direction—
pressure to conform to the present age’s way of thinking, speaking, and living. Christians
must recognize that we belong to another realm that calls for ongoing transformation in
the likeness of Christ. Yet here is the problem. Though we are Christians the world exerts
enormous influence on us from every angle. It is not difficult to conform to the world!
But transformation into the likeness of Christ demands radical change. Unless we
understand how the world influences us we can easily presume that we are okay.
Likewise, unless we understand how divine transformation takes place in the believer, we
will neglect the means given for transformation. So that’s our task in this study and the
next. We want to see how the world affects us and how instead, by the grace of God, we
are transformed by the renewing of our minds. How does this take place?

1. What is the world?

“And do not be conformed to this world.” Literally, ‘and do not allow [yourselves]
to be molded according to this the age.’ Rather than using the more familiar term kosmos
that we see often translated as “world” in the New Testament, Paul uses the word that
refers to the present age. So he does not refer to being shaped by a particular culture or
societal influence. In other words, he does not have in mind that it is negative to be
shaped by the Roman Empire or in our day, to be shaped by an Eastern culture rather than
a Western culture. That may be part of the “world” but it is more. Every culture in every
age bears similar traits.
 Pastor Phil A. Newton, A Living Sacrifice, part 2 2

Martyn Lloyd-Jones calls “world,” “life as it is thought of, organized, and lived apart
from God without reckoning on God, without being governed and controlled by Him”
[Romans: Exposition of Chapter 12, Christian Conduct, 73]. Life without God, life
without His governance—that’s the world. It’s not as though God quits existing or quits
governing but rather this age goes on as though He did not exist and govern. It does not
recognize Him and His creative, governing power. How did this start? Again, Lloyd-
Jones explains by defining world “as life and activity which, as the result of the Fall, is
controlled by the devil” [73]. Is he off the mark? Paul uses the same phrase in 2
Corinthians 4:4, “In whose case the god of this world [or age] has blinded the minds of
the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,
who is the image of God.” The world or this age, rather than bearing the influence and
image of the living God, exists under the sphere of Satan’s influence.
But one would think this would be easily recognized and dealt with. One would think!
Yet while writing to believers, Paul uses a grammatical structure that indicates that the
world was having considerable influence on the Roman Christians. He tells them, “Stop
letting the world continue to shape you!” An action was in progress that needed to cease!
Someone might ask, ‘How can that happen to Christians? Was it a problem of their not
assembling together as a body or not studying the Scriptures or not having
accountability?’ That might have been part of the problem but the reality is that as long as
any of us live in this world, the present age bears distinct influence and power in trying to
shape the way we think in order to shape the way we live. So as Christians, we must not
presume upon the present age or think ourselves immune to it now that we’re in the faith.
Three images of the world may help us to get a little better picture of its influence.
(1) Velcro. You know that magic ability of the nylon product known as Velcro. With
any compatible surface it sticks. Due to the ongoing influence of the flesh and its
presence lingering in our lives, the present age has Velcro qualities. The world sticks in
our thoughts, attitudes, phrases, conversations, and desires. We see images, hear ideas,
and observe examples that stick to our minds like Velcro. For instance, rather than
teaching the wisdom of God’s providence, the world insists that God must side with us in
every circumstance in order to help us have happy lives. So if we face tragedy or
difficulty or loss, the Velcro patterns of the world cause us to doubt God’s love, wisdom,
and faithfulness. Those things stick in our minds so that we have to be “transformed by
the renewing of [y]our mind” to be freed from it.
(2) Clamp. You know the product that is so handy in the workshop for holding items
tightly together. It uses increased pressure to make a bond when gluing two pieces of
wood together. The more pressure the tighter the bond. The world tightens its clamp in
our lives to pressure us into certain patterns and ways of thinking and living. It exerts
enormous pressure and influence through media, daily conversations at work, graphic
scenes of impurity, and godless examples. Relentless bombardment by worldly ways of
thinking crash into our lives to such a degree, that we often give in and simply accept the
ways of the world. Think of how much television commercials have moved toward
graphic language and scenes in the past decade or two. Some of the things that we see
regularly and think nothing of it, we would have blushed and been appalled just ten years
ago. The world has squeezed us like a clamp, trying to seal a bond between us and a way
of thinking and living, that is opposite the ways of God. No wonder J.B. Phillips
translated this phrase, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold.”
 Pastor Phil A. Newton, A Living Sacrifice, part 2 3

(3) Dew. You know the liquid that covers every exposed surface on summer mornings.
It is pervasive. You forget and leave your baseball glove outdoors after a game of pitch.
The next morning, it is soaked with dew. You put a shirt out to let it dry in the air but
forgot to bring it in before dark. The next morning it’s thoroughly wet. The world has the
pervasive character of dew. It soaks everything exposed to its influence. Now, if we want
to avoid the world’s pervasive influence, we must take care to over-exposure. If I know
that certain television shows turn my thoughts away from the Lord or certain
relationships cause me to forget about holiness or certain activities numb me toward the
things of God, then I must take radical action to get away from the dew of the world.

2. What does the world communicate to me?

In the early years of my Christian life I thought avoiding worldliness meant:
Don’t cuss, smoke, drink, or chew,
Or run around with folks that do!
Yet that little rhyme was actually more hindrance than help. While certainly there’s good
counsel to avoid those things that do not offer a clear testimony of a life transformed by
the gospel of Christ, worldliness is much more. Some of the worldliest people that I have
known are not guilty of any of those vices! As James Boice pointed out, “To think of
worldliness only in those terms is to trivialize what is a far more serious and far more
subtle problem” [Romans: The New Humanity, 12-16, vol. 4, 1524]. He describes the
world by using four categories that help us to understand its influence. I’m borrowing a
few things from him to help us look more closely at what the world communicates to us.
(1) Secularism: “The Cosmos Is All That Is.”
That’s what Carl Sagan, noted astronomer, television personality, and atheist stated.
“The cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be.” That’s what secularism implies.
The word is actually the Latinized term for age. So Paul is stating, “Do not be ‘secularist’
in your worldview” [1525]. The secularist is bound by this world. He does not think of
the eternal age because he does not believe that it exists. So he can offer his opinions and
express his ideas and live his life without consciousness of God, eternity, or Judgment.
He pays no attention to God’s commands or warnings because in his mind, God does not
exist or matter. What matters to the secularist is himself at that moment in time. Forget
the future; forget future responsibilities; forget death. He lives with the theme, “Eat,
drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”
Do we have to go far to find this? It shows up in the political world as politicians,
eager to get the next vote and win the next election, willingly throw away the future for
generations to come. It shows up in countless movies and television shows that pose life
without thought of eternity or ultimate responsibility before a holy God. It shows up in
advertisements with everything from cars to beer to body wash. Without realizing it,
Velcro-world latches on to the way that we think and perceive things about life; the idea
shapes us that this world is it—all that is. So we make decisions about life, future, family,
careers, and day-to-day life with Velcro-world riding in our thinking.

(2) Humanism: “You Will Be Like God.”

We remember well the story in Genesis 3. When the serpent temped Eve and
consequently, Adam, the twist came by convincing them that God was holding out on
 Pastor Phil A. Newton, A Living Sacrifice, part 2 4

them. They were in the driver’s seat if they only ate of the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil. They would be like God when they partook! (Gen. 3:5) That was the first brush
with humanism not to be confused with humanitarianism that seeks to help out others in
the human race. On the contrary, humanism is out for self. You count more than anyone
else so live like it! Boice comments, “Humanism leads to a deification of self and,
contrary to what it professes, to an utter disregard for other people” [1527]. Do you see
this pervasive, dew-like attitude so prevalent in our age? Everything is about ME,
MYSELF, and I! The world exists for MY pleasure! Everyone is to cater to ME! Bow
before MY demands and wishes! We are drenched in the soppy, soaking dew of self-
deified people. And if we do not guard our own minds and hearts, we will slip into the
same way of thinking. It is easy to do. If Adam and Eve who had walked with God in the
Garden of Eden could become practicing humanists, so can we.
How does this humanist spirit show up in our lives? When you get angry because you
don’t get your way, then the humanist spirit has spread its dew-like effect on your life.
When you can reason around the commands of God to suite your own desires, then you
are practicing humanism.

(3) Relativism: “A Moral Morass.”

Relativism learns nothing from history and certainly nothing from the revelation of
Scripture. It denies truth or absolutes in favor of the thought of the moment. What is true
for you may not be true for me. What God commanded centuries ago may have been
good for them but it does not fit my agenda. That’s relativism [1528].
How prevalent is relativism? Just consider the arguments that have gone on for the
past forty years about life in the womb, homosexuality, and sexuality. Several years ago I
received an email complaint about something that I had said in a sermon regarding
homosexuality being sinful and contrary to God’s law and purpose for mankind. The
young lady, a college student, and professing Christian and member of a church in her
town, argued that if two people loved each other then it did not matter their gender as
long as they were faithful to each other. Never mind that God had spoken clearly in His
Word. Never mind that both Testaments condemn such behavior without equivocation.
Never mind that marital intimacy is reserved for a man and woman in the covenant of
marriage. I took her to Bible passages in their context, gave explanation, and hoped that
she would believe what God had spoken. But she could not see it.
She was a professing Christian not someone from the world of paganism.
Unfortunately, she is part of a growing number of those in our churches who embrace
relativism in denial of the absolutes of God’s revelation in Holy Scripture. The clamp of
the world squeezed and squeezed until this young lady abandoned things she knew to be
true to follow the thinking of this age.

(4) Materialism: “Give Me Things Or I Die!”

That’s the mantra of the world. Things and more things hold far more importance than
the world to come. That’s so far off! Why give it thought? Why store up treasures in
heaven when I can have more stuff now? Materialism is not just stuff you own but a
whole persona that you become. It is the mindset on acquiring, hording, stuffing, and
grabbing; it’s the clamoring for attention, human praise, and fawning.
The problem is that even when we don’t have lots of things we admire those that are
 Pastor Phil A. Newton, A Living Sacrifice, part 2 5

purely materialistic. We long to know more about them. We watch television shows
about “The Rich and Famous,” hoping to catch a glimpse of the mother lode of their
lives. But what we don’t ask is what are they living for? What kind of satisfaction do they
find in materialism?
How much will Bill Gates or Warren Buffett or Oprah Winfrey leave when they die?
Everything! What are a few years of indulging in materialism when eternity lies ahead?
“For what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” In spite
of Christ’s terse warning, materialism can spread like dew and cling to us like Velcro if
we don’t guard our minds and desires.

3. In what ways do Christians attempt to resist conformity to the world yet miss the
whole point of the command?
We face a dilemma. “Do not be conformed to this world,” we’re commanded. But
we live in it. We face “this present age” every present day! We live in the present not the
past or future. How do we live in the world but not be shaped by it? Think of some of the
descriptions of believers in the world.
“You are the salt of the earth.” And then the reminder: “but if the salt has become
tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be
thrown out and trampled under foot by men” (Matt. 5:13)
“You are the light of the world.” Then the reminder: “A city set on a hill cannot be
hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and
it gives light to all who are in the house.” Jesus does not call for us to abandon the world
or hide from it but to be distinct as Christians in the world. “Let your light shine before
men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in
heaven” (Matt. 5:14-16).
“He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to
life eternal” (John 12:25). This is just the opposite of humanism and materialism!
“Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage
war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the
thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as
they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:11-12). No escapism
here but rather a consciousness that everyday in this world our behavior is to remain
“excellent” so that God might be glorified through us to the world about us.
Unfortunately, instead of recognizing that we live in the world and are to continue as
salt, light, strangers, aliens, and distinct followers of Christ, we fall prey to substitute
ways of living out Romans 12:2, ways that hinder our testimony for the gospel. Consider
a few of these substitutes and see if their subtleties have crept into your thinking as
Christians.

(1) Monasticism
The Monastic tradition emerged within the first 300 years of Christianity. Believers
wanting to avoid the taint of the world withdrew completely. They attempted to build
walls around their lives so that the world could not get in. Last year, several of us saw a
series of caves in the mountains of Central Asia where centuries ago, monks withdrew
from the world. Dotted above the landscape, they cloistered away from worldly
influence, and all the while, though spiritual in outward form, they dried up spiritually.
 Pastor Phil A. Newton, A Living Sacrifice, part 2 6

Their heritage is not that of gospel people who bore gospel influence in their community
but just monks that wanted nothing to do with real life.
Well, none of us live in caves! Yes, that’s true, but we can develop a monastic mindset
if we’re not careful, withdrawing from involvement and engagement with the world so
that we fail to be salt and light. I believe it was John Piper who called this ‘the Christian
ghetto,’ where we huddle together as Christians but have nothing to do with the
community around us. That’s a subtle form of monasticism without the caves. What’s
missing in monasticism? (a) It does not face the reality of the flesh and the worldly
patterns woven into our minds and still affecting us. Withdrawal may help with some
stimulations of the flesh but it does not eradicate it. (b) We lose opportunity for missions
and gospel influence when we withdraw from the world. (c) Jesus never called for
withdrawal but rather commanded us to go into the world to make disciples. You cannot
do that with a monastic mindset.

(2) Legalism
The most common approach to not conforming to the world is living life by rules and
regulations. It’s a rigid, inflexible existence. Legalists find more delight in conforming to
rules than in the gospel. They regularly promote their legalism instead of the gospel of
grace. What’s missing in legalism? (a) It promotes a false sense of security by external
conformity. What a person wears, their hairstyle, the places they go, the amusements they
avoid, the things they will not do, and people they will not associate with constitute their
righteousness instead of depending on the righteousness of Christ alone. (b) The
assumption is that righteousness is achieved by conformity to rules instead through faith
in Christ. (c) Pride inevitably develops over the level of conformity. Legalists compete
for bragging rights by seeing who can be the most rigid. (d) Jesus had some of his
harshest condemnations toward legalists who gagged at a gnat and swallowed a camel.

(3) Antinomianism
Antinomians take the attitude, ‘I belong to Jesus so that’s all that matters. He has freed
me from laws and regulations so I can live as I feel led to live.’ What’s missing in the
antinomian? (a) The law written on the heart in the new covenant does not negate or
exclude the written law—it only enhances it with a new motivation and ability to obey.
(b) The beauty of holiness portrayed in the gospel is defaced and muddied by
lawlessness. (c) Inevitably, carelessness develops in the antinomian so that sin snares his
life, ungodly habits develop, marriages weaken, and Christian testimonies are marred. (d)
Jesus said, “Follow Me.” He is preeminently the Holy One. He gave attention to every
detail of the law and did so with joy because it expresses God’s moral character.

Conclusion
But Paul does not leave us in the negative! Unfortunately, time leaves us there until
next week when we consider the positive command, “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.” Until then, take inventory of how the chameleon
syndrome may have crept into your life. Take it to the cross.