[Steve Myers] Have you ever seen these special effects where you're watching a person's face and then suddenly it just changes into a bear or a tiger? Or a lady's face suddenly changes into a man's face? And it's just amazing to watch those special effects and how the image can just change. And I was reminded of that when reading Romans 12:2 because it talks about a change of form.

It says, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." And in this particular passage there's two Greek words for form that's used. The first one is "schema", and this particular word is interesting because it points to an outward kind of a change. So when it says don't be conformed to this world, that's the schema. Don't be conformed. And the problem with that is this blending in is kind of like a chameleon. A chameleon changes its color to fit in with its surroundings. And the Apostle Paul is pointing out the fact that a true Christian doesn't just blend in, doesn't just adapt to what's on the outside and fit in with society around him.

Instead what Paul points to is a different word. He points to the word "morphe". Morphe. If you've ever watched those amazing images that face morphs into a bear, or that woman's face morphs into a man's face. And that's really what Paul's getting at here, not just an exterior chameleon kind of a change, but a morphing into something that's real, something that's solid, something that's not just on the exterior, not on the outside, but something that's on the inside.

So if you were to read that passage in the Greek, this "morphe" is connected with the idea of a metamorphosis. Now we've all heard that word from grade school.  Remember the animal, or the little bug that has a metamorphosis, that would be a caterpillar changing into a butterfly. And once that change is done, it is a real thing. It is an absolute thing. And that's what Paul's pointing to is that we've got to be morphe, or have a metamorphosis into the image - not a butterfly - but into the image of Christ. So that's our goal, and by renewing our mind through God's Holy Spirit we're to be changed. Have a real, absolute, solid change into the character of Christ.

That's BT Daily. We'll see you next time.