Set Apart by God

 Many people do not like to be different from the people around them. In fact, many people do whatever they can do to be like others and to be accepted by them. This is a huge stumblingblock for many Christians. The Bible makes it clear that God commands us to be different. He is at odds with the world system of this world, so we should be, too, if we belong to Him, and we are following Him. God made this very clear to Moses as he instructed the Israelites. (Leviticus 20:7,8) We are to consecrate ourselves by giving ourselves fully to God, just as I explained in a recent post. Then, we are to make every effort to be holy, like God. He is the Lord, and we are His servants. Therefore, we keep His statutes, not the ways of this world, because He has set up apart for Himself. We need to have a thorough grasp of this reality.

Before we come to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are dead in our sins. We live according to our own flesh and the ways of this world, as we are tempted and led along by the devil. This is the condition of most people in this world. Then, when we come to  know Jesus, we turn from our sins, put our trust in Jesus to forgive our sins, because of His sacrificial death and resurrection for us, and then, we surrender to Him as Lord of our life. At that moment God sets us apart from this world. He adopts us into His family. We have a new heart, and we are to grow spiritually to be like Jesus. We are citizens of heaven, not this world, so we are to follow God's way. That is why He set us apart, and that will make us different from the people who do not know Him. However, it is a good difference. In reality the more different and holy we become the happier and more fulfilled we will be. Yes, it takes time and discipline, but it is so much better to have the approval and blessing of God than to have the acceptance of others who are going the wrong way.

#NHBaptistdotorg

Tomorrow, I intend to read Leviticus 22-25.