Don't Conform to this World

We must follow God's commandments regardless of what others around us are doing. That is, "everyone else does it" is not an excuse in God's eyes. We must view ourselves as sojourners -- we live in this world, but we belong to God.

As the Israelites left Egypt and entered into the promised land, God was well aware of the temptation to conform to behaviors of the world. He issued this note of caution (Numbers 33:55, NLT),

If you fail to drive out the people who live in the land, those who remain will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land where you live.

Now, that does not mean that we, as sojourners, should create trouble for others. As Peter states (1 Peter 2:13-17, NLT),

Submit to all human authority ... don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil ... Respect everyone ... Fear God, and respect the king.

So the lesson is clear. We must strive to obey God's commandments, while also humbling ourselves before God and man.