Romans 12:1-2, Be Not Conformed To This World
Romans 12:1-2 (KJV) 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…
The Apostle Paul said to the Christians by a command to refrain themselves from being fashioned or shaped into the mold of this world’s system.
The late pastor Adrian Rogers explained well, “When the Bible says to love, not the world. It is not referring to the world of nature or the world of people considering that in John 3:16 the Bible says God love the world that He gave His only begotten Son. When the Bible says love, not the world, He is talking about a system. The word for “world” or “cosmos” in Greek means ” order.” There is a system that is opposed to our God and His Christ. Business is not wrong, entertainment itself is not wrong, but there is behind it a philosophy that is trying to squeeze us into its mold! Be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. The world is trying to squeeze you into its mold. There is a systemized system. And it’s all around us it affects all of us. You do not let the world squeeze you into its mold! We have an enemy, the world.” This is the Christian’s external foe.
The Apostle Paul paraphrased well in Ephesians 2:1-3 (KJV) 1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
The Christian has now a heavenly perspective to this life. He sets his affection not on the things of this world but on the things that have eternal value. His value system is changed. He sees the treasures of this world with a different perspective. He knows that when he takes his last breath, he cannot bring any of the treasures of this world with him. The way he looks that this world is changed. May God help us to renew our minds that we may have a heavenly perspective of this earthly life. Amen.