Scripture to Read: 12:2
God is teaching us so much, and today, He continues to challenge us as He used Paul to pen these words in Romans 12:2, “do not be conformed to this world.” To be conformed to something means we look and act like it. Another way of saying it is that we model our lives after it. God does not want us to look anything like the world since we have surrendered our lives to Christ as Lord. God says it this way in 1 John 2:15–16, "Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” To be “conformed” or to “love” this world means we are not conformed to the image of God, and we do not love God the way we have been commanded to do. God says the world only offers us lust of the flesh, eyes, and the boastful pride of life. But through Christ, we have life (Colossians 3:4, John 11:25, John 14:6, Galatians 2:20), light (John 8:12, John 9:5, John 12:46), and love (1 John 4:7–8, 1 John 4:16). If we settle for the world, we are allowing our flesh to rule us and not God’s Spirit. We must be transformed daily, and we’ll unpack that more tomorrow.
Challenge & Application
· What areas of your life have you allowed to be conformed to this world, and what must you do to change that?
· How are you allowing the light, life, and love of Christ to be seen in the way you live?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!