We Are To Be Different

If we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, then we are no longer of the world, we are not to think and agree with the world.

Romans 12:1-2 NLT

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Paul is admonishing believers, " in light of all that God has done for us, we are to give our bodies to serve God and offer them to Him as living sacrifices."  In Old Testament, once a year a dead sacrifice was offered to God by the high priest.  An animal was killed and laid upon the altar. Its blood covered or atoned for the sins of the people. In the New Testament times which we are in, our sacrifice for sin has already been made once and for all through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It is then our decision , our choice, to offer our bodies to God as living sacrifices. No one else can present our bodies to God. We as individuals  have to do that.
The "world" has a lifestyle, mannerisms, and morals distinctly different from born-again believers.  Unlike the world, a believer's lifestyle, morals mannerism, thoughts, words, actions are to be patterned after Jesus Christ, and His Words to us, is that we as His disciples are to follow Him, and we as Christians are .. His disciples. We can't accept the parts we like, and ignore the part we don't agree with,  and go along with the world's way of thinking. We are admonished from God, not to be squeezed into the world's mold, that is ruled by Satan.
It has been said, " if some people were on trial for being Christians, there wouldn't be enough evidence to convict them." When we are born again, there is to be evidence of change in our lives. Transformed means "changed, altered, or rearranged.  We renew our minds by reading, studying, applying the Word to situation that come up in our lives. We fill our minds with God's thoughts, (His Word) His nature, His information given to us to be our guide. Following His standards, then we will "prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2) Until we follow his Word and renew our minds, we will not fulfill the will of God for our lives.
Thank You Father, for Your Word and guidance that You  have clearly laid out for us to follow so that we will have all of Your Blessings. In Jesus' name Amen.    
A. H.