“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
—Romans 12:2

The truth in this verse is simple and profound. If we don’t transform our minds by rejecting the mind of our culture, we’re not going to have the spiritual discernment that is required to perceive God’s will and leading in our lives.

This is certainly true of many people today. As a spiritual leader, I’ve observed many single younger people who love God. But because sexual immorality is so common in the culture today, many of these younger people compromise in this area and then justify it in their own minds, saying, “It’s OK because we love each other.” And sometimes as a result they fall away from Jesus. This is just one of many examples of how we can reject God’s Word and then excuse ourselves because our culture says, “It’s OK.”

If our minds are programmed by the world rather than the Word, we’re not going to be able to discern the appropriate will of God. Whether it’s sexual sin or some other issue, when we’re conformed to the spirit of this age rather than God’s inspired, written Word, we can’t discern God’s heart and will convince ourselves that what is wrong is really OK.

Hebrews 4:12 says the “word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” When we allow God’s Word to get into our hearts and psyches, it changes us.

Beloved, we don’t determine truth or where we are in our walk with God by comparing ourselves to other people or to this world’s cutlure. We measure ourselves by comparing ourselves to God’s Word. So I want to encourage you today not to get sucked into the present culture. Rather, resist the spirit of the age and be conformed to God’s Word. Spend time in scriptural literature every day.

Father God, may Your Word set the standard for my life and not the world around me. Help me today to resist the temptation to follow the pattern of this world and instead let Your Word renew my mindset. I want to be in alignment and in agreement with You, in Yeshua’s name.

Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider, Rivers of Divine Truth (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2021), Used by permission.