Why must Christians not be conformed to the world?

Living for the Lord implies a complete break with the circumstances that had governed the environment and the time of the people in the City of Rome. Christians may no longer adapt themselves to the framework of the current world (Romans 12:2, me suschematizesthe). Trends, fashion, taste, style, fads, conventions, and habits give form to human societies in different times and places. Paul calls upon all of his readers to become nonconformists in their own culture. If they were to allow their behaviour to be determined by the trends of the particular time in which they happen live, it will in fact soon become old and transitory. Christians must renew their thinking and their attitudes, thereby becoming different. By focusing on God’s mercy as opposed to the time in which you live, you attain a different attitude than you would by focusing on the zeitgeist. The standard question for determining action is then no longer, What is normal? Rather, it becomes, What is the will of the Lord God?

Cranfield¹ (like Légasse²) provides reasons for disagreeing with the interpretation of other exegetes that the verbs (me) suschematizesthe and metamorphousthai can be distinguished from each other as if the first refers to the (negatively evaluated) external form and the second to the (positively recommended) inner attitude. For both verbs (depending on the context) refer to the inner as well as the outer attitude. The verbs contrast conforming and transforming.

God’s will reveals what is good and acceptable and perfect and what is pleasing to him. This is distinguished from what is bad, tainted, and wicked, all of which were characteristic of the times and culture of the unrighteous Gentiles (see Romans 1:24—32 which discusses this in more detail). Together with Israel, God now also involves the converted Gentiles in his merciful redemption of a world which he brings back from destruction.³