Ephesians 4:17 (ESV)
¹⁷ Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.

The church at Ephesus was probably made up of a majority of Gentiles. Thus, they knew exactly how the Gentiles lived. Peter revealed this to us in 1 Peter 4:3 when he wrote,

1 Peter 4:3 (ESV)
³ For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.

Paul’s exhortation, not to walk as the Gentiles, is an urging to the saints at Ephesus not to live like the world. This continues to be a valid and worthwhile exhortation today. As Christians, we are constantly faced with the temptation to live like the world. Most people desire to fit in with the crowd. Even in Christ, many find themselves wanting to live, dress, and talk like the people around them. This is not something new for the people of God. The Jews demonstrated such a propensity when they demanded to have a king like all the nations (1 Samuel 8:19, 20). Do you find yourself wanting to walk like the world? If so, the encouragement of Paul should help.

Romans 12:2 (ESV)
² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The world conformed means to act in agreement with, or to go along with prevailing customs. Paul tells us not to do that. Instead, we should be transformed. The Greek word for transformed is metamorphoō and means, “to change or transfigure” (Strong’s Greek & Hebrew Dictionary). We get the word metamorphosis from this Greek word. Webster tells us that a metamorphosis has to do with a change of form or something that is marked by a striking alteration. One of the most familiar examples of a metamorphosis is the change that occurs when a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly. As God’s children, we should have experienced a metamorphosis.

² Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Are you a new creation in Christ? If so, it is being reflected by the way that you walk. You are not living like the world around you. You are not gratifying the desires of the flesh; instead, you are bearing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26). People are able to see that you are different because the glorious light of the gospel is shining forth from you, and God is glorified.

Walking like the world might be easier. We will be like the majority and man will praise us, but it is not a path that will get us to heaven. We all need to decide what we want to get out of this life. Do we want praise and popularity now, or a place with God in eternity after a while? Much will be decided by how we walk.

As you wind down for the night, think on these things.