Living a Different Life

“So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way.” Ephesians 4:17-20

There are several biblical definitions of holiness, but if they could be summed up in one contemporary word, it would be “different.” The actions and attitudes of the follower of Jesus Christ should distinguish him from the crowd. He should be noticeably different.

According to Scripture the unbeliever lives “...in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding...” (Eph. 4:17-18). They seek their own path, follow their own ambitions, forsaking the counsel and direction offered through God’s Word.

On the other hand, the believer lives with meaning and purpose, realizing their lives are fitted into God’s eternal purposes. They learn to see life from God’s perspective, do His will, and experience the meaning that comes from living in harmony with the Creator, Sustainer, and End of all things.

Do others see the difference Christ makes in your life? Can they sense a unique orientation to the important issues that starkly contrast with the prevailing consensus? As you grow in holiness the more visible your difference will appear and the more divergent your lifestyle will become. We are indeed a peculiar people.

“...you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness.” Romans 2:19