The Pattern of God Versus The Pattern of the World

Romans 12: 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The ways of the world have a pattern. They are easily discernable. They do not contain anything of God. They may appear logical, rational and sane but that is only when judged by the standard of man. When the world judges the world, we can expect the world to give its ok. But it is of no value to us as believers. It is fraught with the path the enemy wishes us to take and will end only in opposition to God. We know this as believers yet still we see far too many Christians leaning into the world to borrow here and there. Even Christian leaders can fall prey to leaning to the understanding of the world instead of acknowledging God in all they do. The lines get blurred and when push comes to shove, we can be easily confused as to what to do, or how to resolve a given problem. We forget as the key verse above points out that we need only to test and approve what the will of Almighty God is.

Because God too has a pattern to His ways. He has a will for our lives and the Bible guides us into that pattern. He does not ask for, nor does he need help to achieve His plans and His will. He simply requires faith. You have to believe. Oversimplification? Sure but it is man that makes God more difficult than He really is. He has told us that we will not necessarily understand:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. - Isaiah 55:8-9

Yet we can still not believe or consider God and instead seek our own explanations and solutions. We can still turn to the world and the experts of man. When we have exhausted the worldly solutions, God will still be God and He will still be waiting. The Old Testament tells a story about Naaman who was a commander of the armies of the King of Aram. He was highly regarded by man but he suffered from leprosy. Naaman sets off to Israel to be cured of his leprosy and takes with him the logic of the world; ten talents of silver, 6,000 shekels of gold, and ten sets of clothing to give to the King. The Prophet Elisha steps in and instructs Naaman very clearly to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River and his flesh would be restored and he would be cleansed. Naaman reacts with the logic of the world:

But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage. - 2Kings 5: 11-12

Naaman had his own understanding of how he would be healed but God had a different pattern. That pattern started with Naaman dropping his pride and believing that God would heal him according to the prescription He devised. The logic of the world told Naaman that the Damascus Rivers were better than the Jordan. But he relented and was cleansed.

Yet we can react like Naaman when presented with a problem. We can reflect instead to the logic of the world. We can seek out the experts to world has to offer and use circular reasoning to excuse it. Just because God creates all mankind that does not mean that everything man creates is beneficial or of God. Yet I have heard just such rational from well intended Christians who have let too much of the worldly logic infect their Christian pattern.

King Asa of Judah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He turned Israel away from the foreign idol-gods that so often plagued them. He tore down the high places and cut down the Asherah poles. When facing uneven odds at war, Asa called out to God and God delivered him and Israel. The Bible says because Asa sought the pattern of the Lord, that God gave him rest on every side. The Bible also tells us that Asa's heart was fully committed to the Lord all of his life. Yet toward the end of his life, Asa started to rely on some worldly thinking instead of the Lord. When Baasha, King of Israel came against Judah, Asa sent silver and gold from the Lord's treasuries to the King of Aram to convince him to break treaty with Israel to force Israel to withdraw. The ploy worked but this was the logic of man, not God. Asa had not sought the Lord in this undertaking. I am sure it seemed to make sense and was strategic but this was the result:

At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: "Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the LORD, he delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war." - 2Chronicles 16: 7-9

This was the beginning of the end for the reign of King Asa. Despite having a heart fully committed to the Lord the world had infiltrated his approach to resolving problems. It would cost him his life:

In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians. Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his fathers. - 2Chronicles 16: 12-13

I am sure in Asa's mind it was logical to turn to the physicians. As logical as it appears to some today to rely upon the solutions of the world before God. But God does not want us to rely upon our own understanding, the logic of the world, or the latest fad. He wants us to rely upon Him and Him only.

This brings us back to our key verses from Romans. The Apostle Paul is speaking directly to how we can know the perfect will of God. That is exactly what we need when faced with the trials life throws at us. We can chase after the latest solutions or the path that makes the most sense to man but in the end what we truly need to know is the perfect will of God. That is attained by the transforming of our mind. What is God saying? The battle between the pattern of God and the pattern of the world is fought in our minds. King Asa had a heart that was fully committed to God his entire life the Bible says so. Yet towards the end, the logic of the world crept into his mind and he lost sight of the will of God. The Apostle Paul speaks to this in his letter to the Church at Colosse:

I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God's mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2: 1-3 (NLT)

God wants us to have complete confidence in His glorious plan (pattern). That within Christ is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Not in the experts or logic of the world. Moses did not ask for the advice of man when constructing the tabernacle he followed the plan of God. Noah did not ask his neighbors for advice in building the ark he followed the plan of God. Why does Paul make this point? Continuing in the verses we see:

I say this in order that no one may mislead and delude you by plausible and persuasive and attractive arguments and beguiling speech. Colossians 2: 4 (Amplified)

And so it still goes today. Many Christians are being misled and deluded by the arguments of the world. Those arguments may very well seem plausible and make sense but remember it is only when judged by the standard man has set up. The logic of the world can be very persuasive without the plumb line of God, the Bible, to measure it up against. Those who buy into it can make many an attractive argument using beguiling speech. What worried the Apostle Paul thousands of years ago still is a problem today. And why? Why is our faith weakened at certain points? We know that God can do anything. We know that He created the heavens and the earth and that His arms are not short. We know He is interested in the very minute details of our lives. Despite knowing He has a plan for our future and would never harm us; why do we turn to the logic and solutions of this world? I believe there are two primary reasons why we turn to the world. Either we do not like the speed at which God is answering us or we simply do not like the answer.

We must remember that God's timing is not ours. He is not limited by our understanding of time as Peter teaches us:

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2Peter 3: 8-9

The key phrase there is "as some understand slowness." We live in a microwave society where we expect things done yesterday. When we come against a trial in our life we want it over with as fast as possible but God might have other plans. He might be trying to refine us in the fire. What seems slow to us is merely His perfect timing. God knew exactly when Joseph needed to be released from prison. I am sure for the 13 years when he was in prison; Joseph must have felt like God was responding a bit slowly. But when the timing was perfect he went from the prison to the palace in one day! Do not give in to the temptation to seek out the worldly pattern simply because you think God's pattern is too slow. Faith believes that God knows best.

Similarly, I believe we can turn to the experts and logic of the world when we simply do not like the answer God has given. There are three answers from God yes, no and wait. If we are not careful we can enter into prayer with a heart that is only going to accept yes for an answer. Yes, regardless of whether it is part of God's perfect will. Yes, even though we cannot see as God can what will happen as a result. We trade in the omnipotence of God for our own impatience. This life is not Hollywood. All endings are not happy. There is illness and suffering. There is surgery and trepidation. There is the finality of death. Sometimes the answer from God is no. Sometimes the answer is that there is grace in the suffering. The Apostle Paul pleaded three times for God to take away a "thorn in his flesh." Something so severe he called it a messenger from Satan sent to torment him. God's answer to Paul was no. The grace of God would be sufficient for Paul and it is just as sufficient today for us as believers. We do not need the experts of the world selling us the latest thing man thinks he has figured out. Not when we already have the hidden wisdom of God in Christ Jesus and He already knows exactly what we need and what God wants. We do not need the logic of the world; only the grace of God and the faith to accept the answer whatever it may be. Remember, God knew the earth was round far before science realized it. God knew that leeching was not a swift medical idea before the physicians of the day figured it out. Today what man embraces as fact will be tomorrows old wives tales and God will still be God.

I do not know what mountain you are going around today. I do not know how high that mountain looks. I do not know how many times you have circled it. I do not know how many solutions you have tried from the world. All I know is I believe everything the Bible says:

Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. - Mark 11: 22-24

Do not doubt in the pattern of God. Do not seek the solutions this world has to offer you. Believe and receive today. Amen.

Reverend Anthony Wade September 30, 2009