The objective of this lesson: to focus on the nature of Christian conversion
For the Christian, conversion is about something much greater than obeying a few instructions. As important as such commands are, conversion is basically about a new direction for one's life. The converted come to God through Jesus Christ in order to change directions in life. One's faith does not lead him/her to repent and to be baptized in order to continue to live as he/she always lived. Purposes change. Values change. Behavior changes. Moral concepts change. The converted look at commitments, relationships, promises, and the treatment of people in an entirely different manner.
Help your students understand Christian conversion at the foundation level is about the redirection of a life that has not been lived for God. For the ungodly person who comes to God through Christ, conversion is a redirection of life. Among the things that change is the person's personal purposes, personal values, relationships, promises extended to others, and moral concepts. It is not change for change's sake [meaningless, thoughtless compliance]. It is basic changes in self necessary for a redirection of life.
The question truly becomes this for the converted: "What influences and forces do I, as one guided by Jesus Christ, allow to shape who and what I am?" It is what I allow to shape me that determines who I am and what I do. Are those forces to be ambition? For what? Success? How do I determine its existence? Material accomplishments? The pursuit of pleasure? What defines my joy? Societies' expectations? Will I allow people who do not know or love God to decide who I am and what I do?
The primary concern must become this: "What forces and influences will I allow to shape me as a person into who and what I am. Christian conversion is much more than an affirmation or claim. It is a change in who and what I am as a person.
The real issue: Do I exist in pursuit of a God-centered life or in pursuit of a physically centered life? Certainly that involves a definition and a distinction. The Christian of necessity must define what is meant by God centered. Nothing happens in my life if I merely transpose my godless lifestyle into my godly lifestyle. Nothing changes. I just give new names to old habits. Thus I must distinguish between influences and forces in my life that encourage me to become more spiritual and the influences and forces in my life that encourage me to consider only physical desires.
The primary issue is focused on who and what I am as a person. The 'who and what I am' is verified by the way I live and the manner in which I behave. I am desirous to let Jesus Christ teach me how to be a different person, not just to claim differences exist. I truly wish to be a spiritual person rather than just wearing a facade of spirituality when the facade is convenient. The converted person does not want a 'put it on; take it off' spirituality that is worn or discarded when convenience dictates.
Consider the realities of the Christian living in first century Rome. "Do I abandon Christian morals to win acceptance in an idolatrous city? Does being "politically on the inside" [like calling the ruling Caesar a god in public] control my actions? Do I regard worshipping the patron god or goddess of my trade guild as an economic necessity in order to retain my job and to continue to do what I trained to do? After all, my training required enormous personal sacrifice! Do I "use people" as opportunities to get ahead in the patron system? Am I to allow the pursuit of pleasure or power to determine who I am and what I do in my circumstances produced by my realities in my social environment? Remember these were first generation Christians. They could not return to Christian families for encouragement and support--they were the first Christians in their family! Seeking a Christian enterprise operating on Christian values was not an option--those enterprises did not exist yet!
Being a Christian in first century Rome involved some hard decisions and choices that affected daily life.
Thus the option was straight forward. Because I follow Jesus Christ, do I allow this new God to Whom I belong determine who and what I am? Or, do I allow the physical realities of a society who does not even acknowledge this new God determine who and what I am? Do I conform to the physical realities of idolatrous Rome, or am I transformed by God's will? What or who do I allow to shape who and what I am?
The option truly was between letting God's will [purposes, objectives] determine who and what you were and allowing society's demands determine who and what you were. Was your life fashioned by the spiritual influences of godliness or by the social pressures of ungodliness?
Note several things about Paul's plea. Though not discussed, remember (1) Paul just completed an explanation of God's ability to save; and (2) specifically demonstrated that gentile people of faith in Christ were included in God's desire to save. In Paul's plea, first note it is based on God's mercy. The foundation motive was to be an appreciation of an act of God: the revealing of His inclusive mercy. Their spiritual commitment was to be based on God's deservedness!
Paul in the first part of Romans verified God's mercy in God's willingness to forgive. He showed gentiles definitely were within God's desire to extend salvation to all people. This divine desire existed because God was merciful. Those who benefited from God's mercy had a deep appreciation of what God did for them.
Second, note the commitment to a spiritual existence was justified. Though such commitment might not be appreciated in the realities of their physical environment, it would be appreciated by the God who deserved such commitment. The merciful God deserved their spiritual commitment!
It was right to appreciate what God did [does] because He is merciful. God deserved human appreciation! A failure to appreciate what God did was an insult to God's kindness!
Third, note this spiritual presentation of self to God involved their bodies. The presentation involved more than a hidden attitude. It involved more than guarded internal values to which loyalty was professed in 'safe' contexts. It involved physical expression in bodily form. It involved a sacrifice of self, not of an animal the person acquired. The convert was to understand that self was given to God as a gift to express personal appreciation for His mercy. This gift was given as an act of worship which redefined the common concept of holy. Holy was more than something aside from yourself which you gave. It was the living [continuing] gift of self to God.
One cannot belong to God, follow God's will, if he/she does not give God control of his/her body. While Christianity definitely involves the mind, it also must be expressed in the manner one uses his/her body.
Fourth, note what shaped them. The shaping force was not to be a conformity to the realties fashioned by the age in a godless Rome. They were to be shaped by God's will. For this to occur, a transformation of life must occur. The transformation would not be produced by some sort of external control. It would occur by the renewing of the mind. Their faith produced service to God based on understanding, not mere habitual acts! They would be dedicated to a new way of thinking [an enormous, continuing challenge!]. This new way of thinking would be focused on determining God's will, not on "getting ahead" by conforming to societies' control. It would involve understanding God's concepts and definitions of "good" and "perfect." It's objective would be to give pleasure to God rather than to society.
They were shaped by a dedication to and appreciation of God, not by the dedications and concerns that did not care about God's ways.
Bottom line, what was to shape them as they lived in idolatrous Rome? They were to be shaped by God's will, not by society's expectations. Bottom line, what is to shape who we are and what we do? It is the same. It is God's will, not society's expectations. Being a Christian is a transformation of life, not a conforming to unspiritual expectations.
Being a Christian involves some fundamental personal changes that begin with the way a person thinks. He/she lives for something greater than the 'here and now'. Existence does not end at physical death.
For Thought and Discussion
It is basically about a new direction for one's life.
What influences and forces do I allow to shape who and what I am?
Four of the things that change are purposes, values, behavior, and moral concepts. Add any others you wish to emphasize.
Do I exist in the pursuit of a God-centered life or in the pursuit of a life centered in the physical?
Use paragraph four in this discussion. Often there were considerable, fundamental differences in some idolatrous moral concepts and some Christian moral concepts. The patronage system of obligations invited exploitation. Political loyalty to the ruling Caesar often involved an idolatrous praise of Caesar. Many forms of emphasis in Rome's society placed Christian dedication in serious crisis.
Do I allow God's will to determine who and what I am, or do I allow society to determine who and what I am?
It was based on God's mercy.
The commitment was justified.
It included their bodies.
They were to be shaped by God's will, not by conformity to interests that were unconcerned with the living God.
They were to be shaped by God objectives, not by society's expectations.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 2