Conformity

The word conform means to fashion alike, to be of same pattern, to look alike or to take the shape of a thing.

 According to the dictionary, the word conform means to act in accordance with expectations, to behave in manner of others, to follow a set of specifications or regulation with policy or guidelines

Romans 12 : 2 says that we should not conform to the world meaning that we should not act, behave or look like the world.

For us to understand this better, it means we must know who we are and also what the world is. This knowledge will help us to abstain from the world whenever we see anything that looks like it. 

Note that conformity happens with time and consistency. 

For example a molten iron poured into a material with the shape of a sword will conform to same shape and will become a sword. But it won't happen at once. There were factors that made the conformity successful which is air and time.

This illustration will make you understand that the world has a shape. 

What is the shape of the world? or rather what is the world? or what does the world contains?

 1 John 2:15-16 -: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

The things in the world include the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of Life. Every thing that the world represents can be grouped under these three elements. 

Most of the things which can be found in the world can be seen in the works of the flesh...

 Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, worldy jealousies, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Now that we know what the world is, and we can identify it when we see anything that looks like it. We should try to know who a believer is also.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God's] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

A believer has been called out of the world, he's no longer a citizen of the world. All that is in the world is summarized under sin. A believer is delivered from sin.

 A believer is meant to conform to the nature of Christ because he's now a citizen of heaven where Christ belong. 

There are times you find yourself engaging in the things of the world, understand! That's not who you are, so never stay down lest you conform to the nature which is not yours. Putting a square peg in a round hole will be very uneasy, likewise a believer who has been translated out of the darkness of this world, and is still living by the dictates of the world, won't find things easy.

 Rise up to your identity and continue to look at Jesus. 

Another degree of conformation is in Christ.

 If we don't conform to the world, we should conform to Christ 

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the LORD.

Whatsoever you behold, you will become. So how do we behold so that we can become.

James 1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 

24 For he beholds himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what manner of man he was.

25 But whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 

Looking at the word of God and seeing Christ in it, helps us to conform to the nature of Christ. But why do we have to avoid the world? It is because we now belong to God and friendship or conformity with the world makes us God's enemy.

James 4:4 All of you adulterers and adulteresses, know all of you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 

Renewal of one mind daily with God's word, helps the mind to stay sane from the affairs of the world.