NON-CONFORMITY

Psalm 4:3 (TNIV) “Know that the LORD has set apart his faithful servant for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.”

Romans 12:2 (TNIV) “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

1 Peter 1:14 (TNIV) “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.”

CONFORM (def): to be in agreement through actions and behavior with socially accepted standards or norms.

Sanctification is a process. It is both a process and is instantaneous at the same time. When you receive Christ for the forgiveness of sins, you are then and forever more seen by God as being totally justified and sanctified; holy in His sight by virtue of the blood of Christ which you are now cleansed with. It is a process because we must live out our lives on this earth, which is an unholy place. We are tainted by it and influenced by it and need God’s help to make it through. To be holy would be to be perfect and sinless and we are not. We sin every day in some way or another.

According to His Word, God has set us apart to do a good work on His behalf. We are to be strangers in a strange land. We are to be non-conformists, flowing upstream against the social norm. We are just passing through on our way to glory. We have a mission, which I fear too many Christians do not realize. Our lives should entail more than just being blessed and living in material opulence, praising God for all His many blessings as we go. We are called to minister His grace and mercy to those around us. We are in a unique position in that each of us has access to people that might otherwise never even consider the importance of a relationship with God. If not for us they might simply think we are born, we live and we die … period.

Let’s get one thing very clear here … I am NOT speaking of becoming religious or even spiritual … I am speaking about a very personal and specific relationship with Almighty God, Creator of the Universe and man’s first breath. Being religious is nothing … it is not even a word in the Bible. Knowing God intimately on a relational basis is going to take a lot more than just attended church. It will take work and time. If we are not going to conform to this world and to the evil desires that once ensnared us, we must truly KNOW God.

Let me ask you, what does God mean to you? Do you know Him well enough to know His plan for you? Do you know Him well enough to tell others about Him? We are to be set apart. We should feel uncomfortable in this world. This world is not what it appears to be. It is all smoke and mirrors. Temptations abound. We can get duped into old habits and fooled into making God less important in our lives by virtue of the “things” we spend our time on. DO NOT be fooled any longer. God loves you and is patient as we learn our lessons. But there will come a day when time will be no more and we shall stand before our King. Will we stand before the Mercy Seat of Christ as a believer or the White Throne of God, where non-believers shall be judged? People don’t like to hear about the judgment of God, but it is a real thing. If you are His child, live like it to the best of your ability. Get up and dust yourself off when you fall; continue seeking His face as you live for Him. You have nothing to fear. If your walk with God is suspect, look deep inside yourself and make a self-evaluation. We must be God’s hand extended to a lost and dying world. If not us, then who?

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!