| 2006 | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
| 2008 | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
| 2009 | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
| 2010 | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
"Be not conformed to this world", God the Holy Spirit commands us by way of His Apostle Paul. How are we who are part and parcel of this world not to be conformed to it? How are we to keep from being formed along with it? Since that's what the word conform means, to form with.
Who forms us with the world, by means of the world, but the prince of this world, the devil! He forms us worldly ones by means of the worldly things we think, say and do, according to the Ten Commandments of God, things like having other gods than God.
Whenever we trust anyone or anything more than God, or prefer anyone or anything to God, that thing or person displaces God in our regard. That thing or person becomes our god. Convicted by God's First Commandment first and foremost, I must ask myself and you must ask yourself, "What have I valued more than God today? Before what has He become less in my life? What has belittled God for me?"
Whatever it is, that god is too little! What little god have you settled for more and more so that for you God is less and less? How does it feel to settle for less? How does it feel to be belittled by Satan? Yes, the prince of this world, the devil, conforms us to this world; which is to say, he forms us worldly ones by means of the worldly things we think, say and do--things like taking God's name in vain.
For us regular Christians, that may not be cursing or swearing or conjuring by God's name, or lying in His name, so much as taking His name for granted when we ask His blessing on our food, on our family, on ourselves--and don't ask from the heart.
Several years ago, the Sunday Adult Bible Study Class studied our Lord's blessing of us in Holy Communion by means of "This Blest Communion". One of the enduring fruits of that study, besides deepening our understanding and appreciation for this Sacrament, has been that we do not take this chief blessing for granted as readily but take it to heart!
As a result, we come to our Lord's table with a renewed gratitude for our Lord's blessing of us by this Sacrament, and are leaving refreshed and renewed, not conformed to this world by the worldly things we think, say and do--our worldliness notwithstanding--but transformed by the renewal of our minds--the devil notwithstanding!
How can we who are part and parcel of this world, conformed to it and by it, be transformed by the renewing of our mind? It's called repentance, "metanoia", in New Testament lingo. It means a change of heart and mind. How are we who are formed and misinformed by the world to change our heart and mind? We aren't; we can't!
How are we who are curved in on ourselves by our sinful nature to break the hold sin has on us, much less the mold by which it molds us and, like a baby in the womb, be delivered and born anew lest we perish in that fetal position, conformed to the world, deformed by sin in the womb of death, stillborn. We aren't; we can't be! At least, not by our own devices.
But we can by a divine procedure. It's called conversion, whereby the Spirit says, "Be ye converted!" not convert yourself. God must do it. God must break the mold whereby the prince of this world, the devil, we worldly ones and the fallen world itself mold us by the worldly things we think, say and do. God must break their hold on us. God must break us free.
New Year's resolutions aside, if we are to change our heart and mind, God must grant us a change of heart and mind. He must renew our heart and mind. If we are not to be conformed to this world, He must transform us and conform us to Himself. If we are to break free from our fatal fetal position and be delivered from the womb of death, God must turn us inside out--from being curved in on ourselves in sin to being turned outward in love toward Him and our neighbor.
God must deliver us, born anew in the womb of Holy Baptism. God must convert us. He must grant us an about-face and a new lease on life--free of the hold and mold of this world and this world's prince and our worldly nature. And this He does by virtue of His Word of Law and Gospel, this Word: "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind."
He is the Conformer, the Converter, and the Transformer. We're the conformed, the converted and the transformed, the ones He conforms, converts and transforms by the renewing of our hearts and minds by the Spirit He gives us, working in the Word and the water, in the bread and wine, working faith and new life, life from the dead, life with Him hereafter, ever after.
This is how He proves "what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." This is how we present our bodies "as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God," not by our might and main, who cannot but be conformed to this world, but "by the mercies of God" by which He transforms and renews us, "which is our spiritual worship."
New Year's Day is a day of and for new beginnings. As we tear off the last page of last year's calendar and turn over the new leaf of a fresh new calendar, and leave the old behind us and turn toward the new, a fresh new year awaits us, with all its promise and potential, and New Year's resolutions.
In that spirit of leaving the old stones unturned and turning to the new, this time of new beginnings and fresh starts, with its New Year's resolutions and new resolve, I say, "Be ye converted!" Be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your whole self, the regeneration of body, soul and mind.
By means of God's mercy, offer your very selves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service and His good, pleasing and perfect will. Submit to God's Law, the clear reflection of His Goodwill. Believe the Gospel and trust in Jesus and you will. Happy New Year!
- Pastor Erickson