Be Not Conformed To This World

I. Christians are commanded to "be not conformed to this world" (Rom 12:2). 1. The Lord instructs us to be nonconformists. A. Conform v. -1. trans. To form, shape, or fashion according to some pattern, model, or instruction; to make of the same form or character, to make like. B. We are therefore not to pattern our thoughts and behavior after the way of this world. C. We should not look, act, and think like the people of this world. 2. We are in the world, but we must not be of the world (Joh 17:11 c/w Joh 17:14,16; Joh 15:18-19; 1Co 5:9-10). 3. God wants us to be in this world for a time to be the salt and light of it (Joh 17:15 c/w Mat 5:13-16). 4. We can use this world, but not abuse it (1Co 7:31). 5. Abuse v. - 1. To disuse, give up. Obs. 2. a. To use improperly, to misuse; to make a bad use of, to pervert, or misemploy; to take a bad advantage of II. Examples of being not conformed to this world. Consider what the world says versus what God says concerning the following. 1. How we got here A. The world says that we evolved from pond scum over billions of years. B. God says He created everything,living and nonliving, in six days (Gen 1:1-31; Exo 20:11). 2. Religion A. The world says that all religions are equal and all lead to God. B. God says that Christianity is the only true religion and that all others are an abomination (Joh 14:6; Act 4:12; Joh 4:23-24; Pro 15:8; 1Co 10:20-21). 3. Salvation A. The world says that eternal salvation is conditioned on something a person does (faith or other works). B. God says that eternal salvation is only by His sovereign grace and has nothing to do with what a person does, including his will or works (Rom 9:11-16). 4. Israel A. The world says that the modern nation of Israel are God's chosen people that must be supported at all costs. B. God says that the modern nation of Israel are antichrists (1Jo 2:22-23) who hate God (Joh 15:23), whom we should not help (2Ch 19:2). 5. Premarital relationships A. The world says that young people should experiment with sex before marriage to make sure they are sexually compatible. B. God says that we must abstain from fornication and never have sex before marriage (1Co 6:18; 1Th 4:3; Heb 13:4). 6. Sodomy A. The world says that being "gay" is perfectly acceptable and even preferable. B. God says being "gay" is anabomination (Lev 18:22; Lev 20:13; Deu 23:17; Rom 1:26-27). 7. Gender A. The world says that you should be able to choose your gender. B. God says that He chose your gender for you (Gen 1:27),and to try to change it (effeminacy, cross dressing) is an abomination (1Co 6:9; Deu 22:5). 8. Marriage A. The world says that two sodomites of the same sex can and should marry each other. B. God says that marriage is a union between a man and a woman (Mat 19:4-5) and that sodomy is an abomination. 9. Divorce A. The world says that a couple can divorce and remarry for any reason. B. God says to divorce and remarry for any reason but fornication or the abandonment of a believer by an unbeliever is adultery (Mat 19:6,9; Rom 7:2-3; 1Co 7:15). 10. Husband and wife relationship A. The world says that authority in marriage should be 50/50. B. God says that the husband is the head of the wife and that she must submit to him in everything (Eph 5:22-24). 11. Women's duties in marriage A. The world says that women should follow their dreams and pursue a career outside the home. B. God says that women should marry and then cook, clean, and take care of their husbands and children (1Ti 5:14; Tit 2:4-5). 12. Feminism A. The world says that women are equal to men in every respect. B. God says that women are the weaker vessels (1Pe 3:7; Isa 19:16; Jer 51:30) who are more easily deceived (1Ti 2:14). 13. Having children A. The world says that children are a burden and that having lots of them is foolish. B. God says that children are a blessing, and the more the better (Psa 127:3-5). 14. Abortion A. The world says that a mother can murder her baby as long as it hasn't exited the womb. B. God says that a baby is a child from conception and those who would harm them are as cruel and stupid as ostriches (Isa 7:14 c/w Mat 1:23; Lam 4:3 c/w Job 39:13-17). 15. College A. The world says that all young people should go to college. B. God says that most of what is taught in college is foolishness (1Co 1:19-21; Rom 1:22), and that the debt that most kids take on for it is stupid (see below). 16. Debt A. The world says that debt is good and that we should not wait, but buy cars and every thing else we desire with loans and credit cards. B. God says that debt is bad, stupid, and enslaving (Rom 13:8; Pro 24:27; Pro 22:7). 17. Fiat money A. The world says that paper is money and that gold is not money but a barbarous relic. B. God says that gold and silver are money (Gen 44:8; Gen 23:16). 18. Slavery A. The world says that slavery is one of the greatest moral evils. B. God allows it as long as the slave was not stolen and forced to be a slave (1Ti 6:1-2 c/w 1Ti 1:10). 19. Open borders/world government A. The world says that world government would solve all of our problems and that there should be no nations and borders. B. God says that nations should be divided, not united (Deu 32:8; Act 17:26-27). 20. War A. The world says that war is good, patriotic, and economically beneficial. B. God says to not fight with people who have not harmed us (Pro 3:30), and to not murder people (Mat 19:18). 21. Tolerance A. The world says that we should be tolerant and accepting of all ideas and lifestyles. B. God says we should hate every false way (Psa 119:128). 22. Following the crowd A. The world says to go with the flow and not be an oddball. B. God says to not follow a multitude to do evil (Exo 23:2).