What Does it Mean to be Set Apart?
As Christians, we have been called to live a new life in Christ, set apart for his glory. You may have read scriptures like:
2 Corinthians 5:17 - “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun.”
John 15:18-19 - “If the world hates you, remember it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.”
Romans 12:2 - “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Read NLT version for layman terms).
Maybe reading those made you feel special… Or like me, maybe you felt overwhelmed and thought, “Oh no! Everyone is going to hate me for following Christ.” In reality, this was a silly thing to stress over, because no matter who you are or what you believe, there’s always going to be someone who doesn’t like you. If you chose to serve Christ with your life, I can guarantee you that it comes with its challenges, but He is worth it.
Over the past two years as I’ve been cultivating a deeper relationship with God, I’ve noticed how I no longer align with certain ways of the world. I don’t resonate with or desire certain things from my past that I once thought were good, right, or enjoyable. When you become renewed in your mind by the thoughts and ways of Christ, your taste and appetite for the old things begin to fall away. You begin to crave for things of God. You desire to do what pleases Him and not your flesh.
For a while, at first, it felt like everything was falling apart. I lost friends, broke off a happy relationship, lost motivation, felt like I didn’t know my purpose, and I felt extremely alone. Maybe you feel that way too. I promise you’re not crazy. Just know that He is with you through this transition. Maybe you’ve lost some friends, family, followers; Maybe you’ve felt alone, or have experienced several unexpected changes that you just don’t know what to do or how to cope anymore. I know it may look like a tornado has blown through your life, but it’s just part of the process. Try to imagine it this way:
God is preparing a table before you, and before that happens, He has to shake out and flap the table cloth to lay it gracefully and neatly on the table He’s preparing. In life, sometimes things have to get shaken up before plans are set out beautifully before you. It’s like cleaning out your closet. You get rid of your old, outgrown clothes to make room for the new wardrobe. God is giving you a new wardrobe for life! So, together, you and Him are clearing the clutter away. For me to understand this, I really had to shift my perspective to see the good and the God in all that was changing around me. Shifting your perspective shouldn’t mean lying to yourself. Shifting your perspective is looking at your situation through a different lens. It’s admitting, Yes, things are changing and it look and feels crazy, but I know that change is an opportunity for growth.
Honestly, during this transition, I sort of felt like I wasn’t myself anymore. I stopped liking certain music, certain clothing of mine, certain entertainment, activities, and so on. It seemed like I was so alone and I didn’t connect to anything around me. I felt like I was losing myself. And truthfully, I was! I was becoming a new person through Christ! (Eventually I began to take interest in new things and a new way of life, so don’t worry if you’re in that “identity crisis” phase of the walk, things will get better!)
I realized that my sense of self before Christ was a false sense of self. I was attached to certain clothing, music, entertainment, activities, and cultural norms, but none of those were truly who I was–they were mere extensions of who I thought I was and my fleshly desires at that point in my life. In my walk with Christ, I realized identity is deeper than the color of my skin, or the clothes that I wear. As a Believer, identity comes from knowing who I am in Christ, and that comes first through knowing Him.
All of us, Christian and non-Christian alike, were was made in the image of God, in His likeness, made to reflect His love and His holiness. However not all people are sons (and daughters) of God. There’s actual an “adoption process” that occurs when we give our lives to Christ that makes us born again as His children. (Read John 3:1-17, Romans 10:9, Galatians 4:3-7, Ephesians 1:3-7, 1 John 3:1-9). Though God chose you and loves you, you have to make the choice to follow Him and love Him back. When we become grafted into His family, you’re now expected to live as an ambassador of Christ, through following the example of Christ and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you in God’s plans. I’ll admit, this walk is not always easy, but when you have an eternal perspective you’ll see that it will all be worth it now, and in The End.
Being set apart does not mean that you’re “better” than others or “holier than thou.” Being set apart simple means that we are not like others; that we are separated from or kept (separate) for a special purpose. To the world, we are peculiar, eccentric, and distinctly different from what is normal to society, and that’s okay. When we realize we are set apart for Christ and His Kingdom, we begin to see that God has made us fearfully and wonderfully and designed us for a unique purpose that glorifies Him. We serve a holy God who desires holiness from His people. He desires for us not to allow the culture of the world to motivate and shape us, but that we influence others by exemplifying the love and holiness of Christ. Living a set apart life will cause the pure light of God to shine through you in this dark world. And in the times we’re living in, your light is definitely needed!
If you want to know how to start living a set apart life, start by studying the word. An example of this set apart mentality is in Luke 6, which teaches us to love our enemies, which is quite contrary to the world’s ideas and customs. In verses 27-29 it says, “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.” In a world that teaches us to be stingy, to give with expectation of receiving, to choose violence rather than peace, and to seek revenge on those who harm us, we chose to do the opposite. We choose peace. We choose to give without expectation. We choose to love when we are hated. We choose to bless those who curse us because it’s the way of our Kingdom. We serve a Kingdom that many say is backwards to the world, but really the world is backwards to the Kingdom.
As Kingdom kids, let’s commit to wholeheartedly living our lives for Christ. I’m not saying you will not make mistakes, because you will, but that doesn’t mean you should quit. There is grace to grow, repent, and be right with Him. Christianity is not about putting on a holy act or pretending to be righteous when your heart isn’t truly pure. In fact, the scriptures teach us that not one of us is holy, but only made righteous through faith in Christ’s finished work (Romans 3, Romans 12). The point is transformation. You seem because a person can be wicked in their heart, but masquerade as a saint through their good deeds. But God doesn’t want this. God desires and requires clean hands and a pure heart (Psalm 24:3-5). Why a pure heart? Because that is where transformation begins.
Whatever is in the heart manifests outwardly in our speech, actions, lifestyle, etc. This is why we invite Christ into our hearts when we pray a prayer of salvation. What is in the heart will manifest outwardly. So if Christ is living in our hearts, our lives should reflect Him. The truth is, people don’t change until their hearts and minds (attitude, beliefs, morals) do. I say all this to say that walking with Christ will require a heart circumcision in order for you to authentically live in holiness and righteousness. It will require putting your full trust in the one who made you, surrendering to His will for you, and living a life motivated by His love and modeling His ways. So don’t “act” like Christ, be like Christ. And in your being like Him, you will soon see that you really are not like the world at all, even though you might live in it and participate in the society.
So, my friends, in your walk with God, my prayer is that you are encouraged in your set apartness (lol). I pray for boldness in your walk and that you may not be conformed to the ways of the world. I pray that your strength and confidence is solely in the Lord, the one who created you and knows exactly how you were designed to function and what you are called to do. Surrender to the process and don’t be ashamed to walk in the light of Christ. No matter what comes your way (and trust me things will come) trust that the one who created you knows what He’s doing. Don’t be afraid to live set apart for Him. You were made for this.
