In this passage from Paul’s letter to the church at Rome, he discusses a vision for Christian behavior. Using language that would have been familiar to his audience, Paul addresses the way Christians are to live as opposed to how others live. Paul tells his readers, "Do not be conformed to this world." This phrase could be literally translated as, "Do not be conformed to this age."

What does Paul mean by talking about "this age?" From other New Testament writings, we learn that through the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, a new age has been inaugurated. In this new age, people live differently. In this new age, the values that society holds are transformed. The old age is fundamentally different from the new age that is breaking in.

However, not everyone lives like they are living in the new age yet. When Paul was writing these words, many of the people, including those who considered themselves to be followers of Christ, were still living with a mentality set in the old ways of thinking. Through his letter, Paul is calling the people to be transformed – to stop living like they are in the old age and begin to live like they are in the new age.

Perhaps this message can easily be directed at us as well. How many of us still have a bit of the old age mentality within us? How many of us still want to hold on to something from that age where we were so comfortable? We want to hold on to the things that this world values. Come on just a little scrap. But Paul said to the first century Christians and he speaks to us today saying, "No, you can’t keep one foot in the old age and one foot in the new. This era that Jesus inaugurated has changed everything. It’s all or nothing. In order to live into the new age you must be transformed."

But we still want to hang on to that old age. It’s easy to value what everyone else values. It’s hard to go against the grain of culture. But transformation is what Paul is calling for. One cannot be truly transformed and hang on to the former life. One definition Webster’s Dictionary offers for "transform" is, "to change into another substance." Once one is transformed, one truly becomes different from what one was.

The image of a butterfly has been a symbol for resurrection for many years because it is a good example of transformation. When a caterpillar goes into its cocoon, it isn’t just a caterpillar that is in the process of growing wings. The whole substance of the caterpillar is changed. If we were to open up a cocoon before the transformation was complete, we would not find small wings sprouting on the sides of a caterpillar. Instead we would find almost a goo-like substance as the caterpillar completely transforms to become something fundamentally different – a butterfly. The caterpillar is fundamentally changed into another substance when it gives up its old life as a caterpillar to enter into a new life full of the freedom of flight.

That’s what Paul is calling for – a fundamental change within the people. But it’s important to look at the language he uses. He calls upon his readers to "be transformed" not to "transform yourselves." Transformation is not something we can just set our mind to, work really hard at, and hope to accomplish. By calling on his readers to "be transformed," Paul shows the role of God in one’s transformation. In many ways, we are so rooted in the old age that we hardly know where to start our transformation. However, with God working through us, we are able to be truly transformed from people living in the old age to people enjoying the freedom that comes with living into the age Christ inaugurated.

Christ ran into this problem as well. When he asked his disciples what the world had to say about him and who he was, he got the answers one would expect from the previous age, "John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, one of the prophets." But when he asks the disciples who they believe him to be, he gets an answer not rooted in the old ways of thinking but one that demonstrates the new age breaking in.

Peter confesses, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Aha! Someone gets it, Jesus says. Peter is being transformed. He is starting to get the eyes with which to see and the ears with which to hear. Jesus knows what’s going on. He knows Peter didn’t come up with that one all on his own. Peter’s confession didn’t come about just because he was really smart. It came about because of the gift of understanding God gave to him. Through his confession, we can see God at work transforming Peter from living in the old age to living in the new age.

But as we will read next week, the transformation is not done in one fail swoop. This transformation to living in the new age takes time and there will be setbacks when old age things will come out of our mouths. But nevertheless, the new age is at work within us through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul also uses the language of sacrifice in this portion of his letter. Now sacrifice would have been a familiar thing in Paul’s time. To the Jews in his audience, sacrifice as part of worshiping in the Temple in Jerusalem would have been their experience. For the Gentiles, sacrifice would have also been a familiar thing because it would have been practiced in some of the pagan religions that surrounded them. To both the Jews and Gentiles that Paul is addressing, sacrifice would have meant the same thing – death. When one offered a sacrifice, the sacrifice would be killed in a specific way as part of worship.

So what in the world is Paul talking about when he calls upon his readers to offer themselves – their bodies – as a living sacrifice?! Living sacrifice would have been a complete oxymoron to the people Paul was addressing. It would not have made sense.

However, once Paul pairs the idea of living sacrifice with being transformed into a new age kind of life, we begin to get an idea of what he means. When one is transformed into a new age mentality, then one indeed has to sacrifice certain things. When one transforms into living in the new age, then one has to give up things that the old age valued.

Success is not measured in the new age like it was in the old age. In the new age, one is not valued because of the money or possessions he or she has. In the new age instead of measuring successfulness, one measures faithfulness. Instead of trying to work one’s way up the corporate ladder of success, in the new age one works tirelessly to become more faithful to God’s calling. In the new age, one tries to discern the will of God – to do what is good, acceptable, and perfect.

So the question comes down to this: Who is God transforming you into? What transformation is God working in your own life? Are you helping or hindering that transformation?

Perhaps as we wrestle with this idea of transformation, we need to re-think some of the questions that we ask each other. Many of the questions that I find myself asking are questions from the previous age – the questions of this world. For example, instead of asking the question, "what to you want to be when you grow up?" we should ask, "Who is God calling you to become?" Perhaps instead of "What are you up to?" we should ask, "What is God up to in and through your life?"

Many times we think of the youth of the church as the ones who need to be guided into the life of faith. The young are the ones with all of the growing to do. The young are the ones being transformed into adults. But Paul was not just addressing his letter to the young people in the church at Rome. He was addressing all the faithful gathered there. Each one of us is being transformed by God. Each one of us is becoming something new.

Let’s start asking different questions of each other. This will not be easy. After all, true transformation is not accomplished overnight. True transformation is a process. But in order to live into this new age – to live in the age that Christ inaugurated, we will have to give up some of our previous age mentality.

I want to challenge you over lunch today or throughout the weeks and months to come to ask new age types of questions. Instead of beginning with asking about doing something, think about becoming someone renewed. Ask each other – young and old – who God is calling you to become. Also, ask one another what God is calling New Concord to become. Let’s not be afraid to step into the new age that Christ has inaugurated. When we can begin to get an idea of who God is calling us to become – once we work to discern God’s will – then we can look around us at the various gifts the Spirit has blessed this congregation with and see the way forward. Each of the members of this part of the body of Christ has been blessed with gifts for the transformation that God is working within us.

Some days we will get it and indeed feel God at work within us. On other days, we may stumble. But if throughout our journey of faith, we continue to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, hoping to be transformed by God we will endure to bring forth God’s will for us at this time and in this place.