You’re a Christian? What’s So Different About You?

13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as first fruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:13

15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.
19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
John 17:15-19

Sanctification
The generic meaning of sanctification is "the state of proper functioning." To sanctify someone or something is to set that person or thing apart for the use intended by its designer.

Disney vacations. Language that blends in with our unsaved friends and acquaintances. Watching TV shows and movies with “adult” content or language. Listening to music that glorifies sex and violence. Allowing your children to do the same. Laughing at off-color jokes or even telling them. Speeding along the highway with the rest of “traffic”. Giving a wink and a nod to our accountant at tax time. Stretching the truth about a product to make a sale. Focusing on money, possessions and power. Neglecting your family to achieve those things. Ignoring the poor. Seeking pleasure first rather than seeking the Kingdom of God.

If you’re a truly saved Christian and any of these things describe you, even a little bit, you need to stop and assess where you’re commitment to Christ is.

Let’s face it brothers and sisters, once we are saved, we don’t belong to the world anymore. We belong to Christ who bought us, redeemed us with His very life. He gave everything He had on this planet for you, to set you apart, to make you different. Accept that fact! As a Christian you ARE different from the unsaved world. Once you are saved, your King is Jesus. The unsaved are ruled by the prince of this world, satan.

Now I’m not saying, as Christians we are better than others. Not at all. We don’t occupy a higher level of humanity. We aren’t to look down at the unsaved. As a matter of fact, we should weep for the unsaved. We should ask God to help us reach the unsaved. If you found a cure for cancer, wouldn’t you shout it to the world? To those you love, even to strangers? Of course you would. How much more important is someone’s spiritual health and their place in eternity than their physical health?

But if we’re just like everyone else. If we don’t stand out from the crowd, if we don’t seem different from society, then we won’t attract those who are lost, seeking, hurting. No one will listen to us. Our witness for Christ will be dead and our witness is all we have to lead people to Christ. No one wants to listen to someone tell them about the life saving Gospel, if their life doesn’t reflect that Gospel. Why should they? Think about it. If someone came to you espousing this great, lifesaving lifestyle, but then went off and ignored the main and most important tenets of that lifestyle, would you take them seriously? No. I think you can agree you’d ignore them completely. They would have no credibility.

That is why we say, we are “in the world, but not of the world”. People shouldn’t have to do a “Find Waldo” to see us in a crowd.

Jesus is coming back. It’s going to happen. It’s going to be the next great event of humanity when our LORD and Savior comes back for us. And yet, it will be the scariest for those who rejected Him.

Time is running out friends. Right now is the time to stand out. To accept your “weirdness” and “foolishness”. Being weird and foolish for Christ is necessary. It’s a good thing because our Father doesn’t see us as weird or as a fool. He sees us as His children and He has work for us to do. We need to get about the Father’s business today. Right now!

It is time to stand out. To shout to those around you that you know of a great cure! If they are hurting or lost or even if they think God could never love them, you know the One who will change them! Change their lives. Change their eternity! Make them a new creature with hope. Hope in the One true and loving God. We need to stand out even those who reject the notion that there is a God or who embrace a faith that is leading them away from the very Creator of the universe.

I don’t have the knowledge, strength or courage to stand out. I can’t stand against the tide of resistance to God in the world. I can’t afford to lose friends, family, things in my life. I’m afraid to stand out. I want to blend in.

Let me tell you friends. I’m not strong. I’m not courageous. I have no ability to stand firm against the resistance to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I don’t want to lose friends or family or things. And our Father knows this. He knows my weaknesses. But, through strength, knowledge and courage that He gives me through the Holy Spirit I can do anything. I can say words I didn’t even know I had in me. I can approach someone I never thought I could and say things I never thought would come out of my mouth. I can write things that I never thought to write about.

I’ve come to the realization that even if I lose everything I have, everything and everyone, comparing that to eternity in Heaven, well, there just is no comparison.

So, today, pray and ask God to help you stand out in the crowd. Ask Him to give you the knowledge, courage, words, boldness to tell someone about His Son Jesus and the life He’s given you.

Don’t blend in. Stand out for Christ!

London Terrorist Attack-Pray for the Terrorists

This may be an unpopular post. I know "Pray for London" will be a phrase trending all over the Internet today and in the days to come. And we should be praying for those who lost loved ones, those who will work to ensure the safety of Londoners on a daily basis and the governments who are struggling to keep these evil events from happening again.

But, as Christians we must also pray for those who would do us harm; the terrorists.

The words of our Savior say as much as Luke reports:

27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. 31 Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. Luke 6:27-33 (NASB)

What more good can you do than pray for those who do not know Jesus?

I know it's hard, but Jesus loved us while we were His enemies.


Paul told the Romans:


For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:10 (NASB)

At one time, before we were saved by the grace of God, we were His enemies! He loved us so much he sent us His Son to die to become our sin and take the punishment for that sin that we deserved!

Islamic terrorists, as a matter of fact anyone who doesn't know Jesus need Him! Time is running out. Jesus is returning and we don't know when, so we have to get busy spreading the Gospel and praying for those who do not know Jesus.

So today, when you are "Praying for London", pray for those who are planning more attacks. Pray for those around the world who do not know Jesus!

If you had been cured of cancer wouldn't you also pray for those who have cancer to be healed as you have been?

So it should be for those of us who have been healed through His stripes! The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, healed us of our sin! Thank God!

Even so LORD Jesus, come quickly!