The Principle Of Conformity To Focus.

16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.​

We are all of us conformed to that upon which we focus ourselves. This is the basic principle upon which all advertising rests. It is so powerful a principle in human thinking and behaviour that companies spend many billions of dollars annually in the attempt to attract and hold your attention in order to influence your behaviour as a consumer.

The Principle of Conformity to Focus is also at work in propaganda. In these highly politically-polarized times, on the battlefield of the strongly-clashing ideological narratives of today, propaganda is more common and more overt than its ever been. But propaganda is, essentially, a sort of advertising, acting just as a commercial for hair dye, or vitamins, or lawnmowers does, grabbing your attention in the hopes of conforming your thinking and conduct according to its particular ideological narrative.

It's evident, then, that we are made by God to be conformed by, and to, those things upon which we orient our minds and hearts. This principle is just as much at work in the spiritual realm as it is in the mundane and secular circumstances of daily living, which is why we have the passage from the apostle Paul above, highlighting the relationship between "beholding" - focusing on - and "being transformed into the same image." In the case of the person "looking unto Jesus" (Hebrews 12:2), who is "beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord," (vs. 18), the Spirit works in tandem with their focus upon Christ, transforming the Christian believer by bringing them into conformity to that upon which they are focused.

It is because we are made by God to be conformed to our focus in some way, that it is so vital that Christians be extremely careful about what it is they allow to occupy their thinking. "Garbage in, garbage out" is the essential truth of this principle. If a believer makes a steady diet of things that are not of God, that don't draw them closer and closer to Christ, that dilute their faith and corrupt their holiness - and such things are myriad in the modern world - the unavoidable result will be a life that doesn't reflect Christ, that isn't conformed to him, but rather to those things not of God. Against such an outcome the Bible warns us explicitly:

Romans 12:2
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Colossians 2:6-10
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,
7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

James 4:4
4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

2 Peter 2:7-8
7 and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men
8 (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds),

Ephesians 5:6-17
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them;
8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
14 For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you."
15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,
16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.


In concert with these warnings, God's word offers the following wisdom:

Psalms 1
Psalms 19:7-11
Psalms 119:11
Psalms 119:105
Jeremiah 15:16
Isaiah 26:3
Philippians 4:8
Hebrews 12:2-3

So, to what are you being conformed? That is, upon what are you focusing yourself, your mind and heart? Soaps? Video games? Secular music? Sports? Porn? Fashion? Local gossip? Politics? Family? Friends? Hobbies? Or are you "beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord," by the Spirit being progressively conformed to him? I hope and pray the latter, not the former.

Philippians 3:7-8
7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,