As we study passages in Romans 12, we discover that this chapter devotes itself to the practical portion of being a servant of God including a major challenge to not be a conformist. There are two distinct societies.
One is the heavenly that provides fellowship with God while waiting the return of Jesus. The other is the society here on earth with all its pain, dysfunction, and sin. When we are committed or conformed to one, we are turning our backs on the other. Paul offers labels for the Christian that express what it is to not conform to this world.
The Believer that does not conform to this world is a self-sacrificing person. One great act of obedience can be an example of submitting to God’s leadership. This is an outward expression of an inward redeeming quality.
The Believer has proper motivation. According to Ephesians 5:2, we are conscious of and respond to the Lord’s mercies. When asked to respond, we are conscious of how reasonable it is that God asks of us. At the base of our motivation is an ambition for holiness.
The Believer enjoys the good results of serving Him. This is a result of a transformed mind or character. How we think is demonstrated by our behavior regardless of the way we may try to hide what is inside of us. Through God our experiences become transformed because of the good will of our Lord working on our “old man.”
The saying is we cannot walk on both sides of the fence. We have seen what it is to walk on the correct side of the fence. We have also seen the benefits of walking on the correct side of the fence. Now it is up to each of us to implement what God says in Romans.
Christian Writer 