Saturday, November 2, 2013

Keyword..."Different"

Throughout this post I will use the word "different" a many times. Please understand, I don't mean "better than" when I use the word. As a matter of fact dictionary.com gives these definitions for the word "different": not alike in character or quality; differing; dissimilar; not identical; separate or distinct. To be different is not "to be better than", just different. But different is what any follower of Christ is.

First of all, the Bible says we become new. That's different. We're taken out of darkness into His light. There it is again...different. We're born again...different. We're forgiven. BIG DIFFERENT! We're still in this world...but no longer are we "of" this world. Different. We are ambassadors for Jesus in the midst of this world. Different. We are to love our enemies and love people who hate us...different. I could ride this pony for a long, long time. But as you can see, the keyword is "different".

If you are a serious and genuine follower of Jesus your standards are...let me say it again...different. You are not any better than a "non-Christian"...but you are different. Your desire now is to please God. And your conscience is infused with the uncanny ability to feel the heart of God. This makes you different. Your standards are different.

The way you act is different. The way you talk is different. The way you think is different. Does that make you better than anyone? Absolutely not. But you are different, and your standards are different. To be a Jesus follower and not be different is to not really be a Jesus follower.

The world is actually craving a generation that will live by different standards...the standards of God. How can people be drawn to the same standards? But God's standards are different. God's standards are the highest standards. To live by God's standards will make one distinctly different. So...as a follower of Jesus Christ let me ask you...are your standards different?


885536: How People Change How People Change
By Timothy S. Lane & Paul David Tripp / New Growth Press

A changed heart is the bright promise of the gospel. When the Bible talks about the gift of a new heart, it doesn't mean a heart that is immediately perfected, but a heart that is capable of being changed. Jesus' work on the cross targets our hearts---our core desires and motivations---and when our hearts change, our behavior changes. It's amazing to watch people who once seemed stuck in a pattern of words, choices, and behaviors start living in a new way as Christ changes their hearts.