My beloved Southern Union constituents, whenever the Apostle Paul writes, he does not merely give information — he issues an invitation. He is not merely trying to improve behavior; he is calling for a changed life. Romans chapter 12 marks a turning point. Eleven chapters have told us what God has done for us. Chapter 12 begins to tell us what we ought to do because of what God has done.
Paul says, “Be not conformed.”
That word “conformed” paints the picture of soft clay pressed into a mold. It means allowing outside pressure to determine your shape. The world has a mold for your values, your priorities, your language, your morality, your ambitions, even your worship. It does not ask for your permission. It simply keeps applying pressure.
Every day the world says, “Think like me. Love what I love. Hate what I hate. Chase what I chase.”
But Paul declares, “Don’t fit in. Stand out.”
Firstly, this passage declares there is pressure to conform.
Nobody escapes pressure.
The young person feels pressure to compromise just to be accepted. The businessperson feels pressure to sacrifice integrity for promotion. The Christian feels pressure to remain silent when truth has become unpopular.
The world does not merely tempt us with sin; it normalizes it. It tells us wrong is right and right is outdated. It celebrates what God condemns and ridicules what God honors. The world has become so loud that many believers have forgotten what the voice of God sounds like. But remember something. The three Hebrew boys lived in Babylon without Babylon living in them. Daniel served in the king’s palace without bowing to the king’s idols. Joseph worked in Pharaoh’s government without adopting Pharaoh’s values. You can live in the world without becoming like the world. The ship is safe on the water. The danger begins when the water gets inside the ship. The Christian is safe in the world. The danger begins when the world gets inside the Christian.
Secondly, God calls for transformation, not mere modification. Paul says, “Be ye transformed.” Some people have changed churches but never changed hearts. Changed denominations but unchanged dispositions. Transformation begins where God always begins — with the heart.
Finally, the renewed mind produces the renewed life. Before God changes your walk, He changes your thinking. The battle for holiness is first fought in the mind. If Satan can occupy your thinking, he will influence your living. Feed your mind with Scripture. Strengthen your mind through prayer. Protect your mind from corruption. What enters the mind eventually reaches the heart. What reaches the heart eventually directs the life. Light does not become useful by becoming more like darkness. It becomes useful by exposing darkness. And when your mind belongs to Christ, your life will never again belong to the world. – RCS
Southern Union | September 2026
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