Set Apart

We all have our different callings and purpose that it is placed in us, but one thing that remains the same within all of us is that God has called us to be set apart. In 2 Corinthians 6: 11-18 (NKJV) it says ¹¹ O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. ¹² You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. ¹³ Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open. ¹⁴ Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? ¹⁵ And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” ¹⁷ Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” ¹⁸ “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.” Also in  Romans 12: 1-2 (NKJV) it says 12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 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.

Some may question why do we have to be set apart or what is meant to be set apart? Well to be set apart means to keep something for a specific use or purpose. When God called us he placed in us a specific individual purpose for our lives. Without being set apart from the world we may continue to grow to be like the world rather than like Christ. There are many verses that state this but I will share with you two In Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money and 1 John 2:15-16 says Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world. You have to be either or there is no in between when it comes to being called to be set apart.

Living a life set apart is having the lifestyle of not doing what is the norm for the world. When we made the decision to accept Christ and love Him we gave up the old man. We cannot sit here and say that we can live life the same as before because “God knows my heart”, “I’m getting there but I’m enjoying where I am”, or the infamous “I’m not perfect”. These sayings are merely excuses to justify that you’re simply not living a life set apart from the world, and God is nowhere near pleased with the excuses that people have come up with. No, the phrase “I’m not perfect” is not false; we are not perfect, but we do have the capability to think on what actions take place in our life because most sin is premeditated. The reason I say this is that in Mark 7: 20-23 it says ²⁰ He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. ²¹ For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, ²² adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. ²³ All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” When we intentionally sin it is something that has been sitting within us, and that we have meditated so long and hard on a temptation that it turns into a desire (a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen.) and desire gives birth to sin and from sin death. (James 1:14-15 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.)

If you chose the life to live a in between lifestyle then you’re making the mistake of being dismissed from God in Revelations 3 God speaks of the lukewarm church in verse 15-16 it says 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Simply what spitting you out of His mouth means is that he will reject you because ultimately you are still living by the world's standards which is not pleasing to Him.

In order to overcome this battle of struggling with the thought of sin and living in between it is necessary that we not meditate on sin and must meditate on positive. (Philippians 4:8-9 Meditate on These Things ⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ⁹ The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.) Also if you don’t know how to give up the things of the world you ask God to help you, pray, surrender to Him, and fast from ALL the things that are hindering you from being set apart. At one point and time I can say I was lukewarm saying I love God, going to church, dancing, and playing the roles, but cursing, listening to worldly music, etc. In order to overcome my lukewarm lifestyle to become on fire for Jesus I had to go through some wonderful life changes (that were not comfortable at the time) fasting and praying, and eventually having the short term goal which was fasting from what was not helping strengthen my relationship with Christ it became my lifestyle to live my life set apart and now I wouldn’t want life any other way.