November 28th, 2023
This week, I’ve been thinking about what it means to be set apart. You see, human nature is actually opposed to being different. In every context, we see that mankind has a need for a sense of belonging and will actually adapt behavior in order to fit in. Think about how often we categorize and section ourselves off into teams, clubs, and social groups. It’s something that transcends time, nationality, and culture. It’s the innate desire of man to belong. We’ll mimic each other, follow trends, and act according to social norms in order to not feel “different.” The desire to belong is God-given, however, the call of every believer is to be set apart. Deuteronomy 14:2 says,
“You are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”
When we’re surrounded by like-minded people and we feel comfortable in our church culture, we may forget the significance of that call, but we’re meant to be different. It won’t always be easy to answer His call, but it’s always worth it. Do you remember having to be separated from your old life after God saved you? To be delivered is to be set apart and we see this throughout the Word of God.
In the Old Testament, Israel was set apart as a light to the nations. They were and still are a demonstration of God’s nature to the world. We see this purpose fulfilled in Jesus when He said, “you are the light of the world,” about His church, because the presence of God would dwell with us and in us. Matthew 5:14 says,
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
John 14:16-17 says,
“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
When we carry the light of Jesus and the presence of God, we will be different. The presence of God and the truth always divides. Those set on opposing God won’t like us, but those who are hungry for Him will be drawn to us. As believers, we have to be comfortable not belonging to the world. Our desire to belong must be fulfilled in Him or we’ll live trying to please man. Galatians 1:10 says,
“Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
James 4:4-5 says,
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?
It’s adulterous to seek the love of the world! We cannot seek to please man, or we’ll bend to the opinions of the world. Holiness is to be set apart. It’s to be clean in His sight, with no stain or blemish from the world. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 says,
“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore, go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”
Does God say to not be “unequally yoked” with unbelievers because He doesn’t love them? Of course not. However, we can’t demonstrate God’s goodness and nature if we’re yoked to the world and its systems and ideologies. What fellowship has light with darkness? None. You will never see light and darkness coexisting because darkness is simply the absence of light. You, as the light, displace darkness simply by carrying His presence.
I encourage you to read that verse from 2 Corinthians, again. Paul quotes Leviticus, Isaiah, and Exodus in this passage, beautifully threading together the truth that God’s heart has always been to set His children apart as a demonstration of His goodness. God is not exclusive in the sense that He wants anyone to be outside of His goodness. We are set apart because holiness can’t coexist with sin. Light can’t coexist with darkness. Idols can’t dwell with the temple of God and we are that temple! These truths mark us as His children, and we’ll never have a greater sense of belonging than when we understand that He is our Father.
The verse says to “go out from their midst and be separate from them.” Does that mean we should hide in our rooms afraid of touching darkness? Of course not. It’s only by “going into all the world” (Mark 16:15) that we shine the light of Jesus to those that don’t know Him. Jesus prayed in John 17:16-17,
“They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.”
Jesus’ disciples were said to have “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6) soon after He ascended. We are still called to turn the world upside down!
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is found in Acts 4:13. Peter and John had just given their defense to the religious council because the lame man had been healed at the Beautiful Gate. It says,
“Now when [the religious leaders] saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”
Peter, who had been afraid to identify as Jesus’ disciple before He was crucified, boldly declared the Gospel to the most powerful and educated religious leaders of his day. When he did, they recognized he’d been with Jesus, because he was different. Peter was anointed. He spoke with authority and boldness. He carried the DNA of heaven and they recognized that he looked and sounded like the Rabbi they had crucified.
Do people recognize that you’ve been with Jesus? God doesn’t need you to bring all of our abilities and qualifications. The religious leaders marveled, not because Peter and John were so impressive, but because they carried wisdom and authority that did not come from the education system of their day. God Himself will equip and qualify you when you step out in faith to obey His call. You aren’t meant to look like the world. You aren’t meant to sound like the world. You aren’t meant to live like the world. We don’t need to belong to the world because we already belong to Him! You may be the only light someone sees, so choose to shine for Him! The authority of heaven comes only from being in His presence and His Word. This week, remember who you are and choose to be different! God made you for such a time as this and there is no one like you in the world. As it says in 1 Peter 2:9,
“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
“You are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”
When we’re surrounded by like-minded people and we feel comfortable in our church culture, we may forget the significance of that call, but we’re meant to be different. It won’t always be easy to answer His call, but it’s always worth it. Do you remember having to be separated from your old life after God saved you? To be delivered is to be set apart and we see this throughout the Word of God.
In the Old Testament, Israel was set apart as a light to the nations. They were and still are a demonstration of God’s nature to the world. We see this purpose fulfilled in Jesus when He said, “you are the light of the world,” about His church, because the presence of God would dwell with us and in us. Matthew 5:14 says,
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
John 14:16-17 says,
“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
When we carry the light of Jesus and the presence of God, we will be different. The presence of God and the truth always divides. Those set on opposing God won’t like us, but those who are hungry for Him will be drawn to us. As believers, we have to be comfortable not belonging to the world. Our desire to belong must be fulfilled in Him or we’ll live trying to please man. Galatians 1:10 says,
“Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
James 4:4-5 says,
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?
It’s adulterous to seek the love of the world! We cannot seek to please man, or we’ll bend to the opinions of the world. Holiness is to be set apart. It’s to be clean in His sight, with no stain or blemish from the world. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 says,
“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore, go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”
Does God say to not be “unequally yoked” with unbelievers because He doesn’t love them? Of course not. However, we can’t demonstrate God’s goodness and nature if we’re yoked to the world and its systems and ideologies. What fellowship has light with darkness? None. You will never see light and darkness coexisting because darkness is simply the absence of light. You, as the light, displace darkness simply by carrying His presence.
I encourage you to read that verse from 2 Corinthians, again. Paul quotes Leviticus, Isaiah, and Exodus in this passage, beautifully threading together the truth that God’s heart has always been to set His children apart as a demonstration of His goodness. God is not exclusive in the sense that He wants anyone to be outside of His goodness. We are set apart because holiness can’t coexist with sin. Light can’t coexist with darkness. Idols can’t dwell with the temple of God and we are that temple! These truths mark us as His children, and we’ll never have a greater sense of belonging than when we understand that He is our Father.
The verse says to “go out from their midst and be separate from them.” Does that mean we should hide in our rooms afraid of touching darkness? Of course not. It’s only by “going into all the world” (Mark 16:15) that we shine the light of Jesus to those that don’t know Him. Jesus prayed in John 17:16-17,
“They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.”
Jesus’ disciples were said to have “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6) soon after He ascended. We are still called to turn the world upside down!
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is found in Acts 4:13. Peter and John had just given their defense to the religious council because the lame man had been healed at the Beautiful Gate. It says,
“Now when [the religious leaders] saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”
Peter, who had been afraid to identify as Jesus’ disciple before He was crucified, boldly declared the Gospel to the most powerful and educated religious leaders of his day. When he did, they recognized he’d been with Jesus, because he was different. Peter was anointed. He spoke with authority and boldness. He carried the DNA of heaven and they recognized that he looked and sounded like the Rabbi they had crucified.
Do people recognize that you’ve been with Jesus? God doesn’t need you to bring all of our abilities and qualifications. The religious leaders marveled, not because Peter and John were so impressive, but because they carried wisdom and authority that did not come from the education system of their day. God Himself will equip and qualify you when you step out in faith to obey His call. You aren’t meant to look like the world. You aren’t meant to sound like the world. You aren’t meant to live like the world. We don’t need to belong to the world because we already belong to Him! You may be the only light someone sees, so choose to shine for Him! The authority of heaven comes only from being in His presence and His Word. This week, remember who you are and choose to be different! God made you for such a time as this and there is no one like you in the world. As it says in 1 Peter 2:9,
“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
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