Separate. Not of this world.

 You know, all my life I heard that I was to be separate, set apart; in this world, but not of it. I never truly understood what this looked like. I sort of just went on with my life assuming I was accomplishing that, even though I really couldn’t tell you a single way I was doing it. In fact, the people who often quoted it to me, didn’t seem to be doing anything much different than me either, so we must be getting it right. Right?

And this was the core of my problem with Christianity. The Bible says lying is a sin. But it also says consuming pork is an abomination. Pass the bacon, pastor! Hot crab dip anyone? The church says drinking alcohol is a sin, but Jesus made wine. Hmm. How is a young believer supposed to reconcile this! Why do we obey God’s word in some ways, but not in others. And why do we make new rules that God didn’t make?

So, here is my disclaimer. You’re going to hate me if you read this article. And I’m not sorry.

For much of my life, I figured we got to obey the things that were culturally relevant. Eating pork and shellfish is ok because it’s ok in my culture. While perhaps my pastor thinks drinking alcohol is wrong, it’s ok for me because in my sub-culture, it’s acceptable. In fact, coffee is as much a drug as wine, and my pastor always has a cuppajoe in his hand, so, what’s right to you, is what’s right. The old argument, “maybe that is your conviction, but not mine,” seemed like the status quo in the church.

As a result, I made a lot of colossal mistakes in my life. Tragic and reckless forays into sin. But when it only matters what is culturally relevant or what I decide is sin, (i.e., what I personally am convicted of), then who cares. It’s all relative. I hope you can at least see that this is a slippery slope. If you can’t, you’re not ready for this article.

But wait, isn’t the Bible supposed to be our source of truth? If the Bible says it’s sin, is it? Ok. So what if God said it was a sin in the Old Testament, but says nothing of it in the New Testament? Is it sin then? What about God changing his mind. Does he do that? Or do we even have to worry about sin at all anymore? Can we interpret his commandments however we choose? Jesus died for all our sins, so it doesn’t really matter anymore right? Are we going to sidle up to God on judgement day, swing an arm over his shoulder and say, “hey bro, it’s all good! I know you get it, so thanks for letting me live it up and have fun on earth!” Seriously, I had a self-proclaimed believer tell me this in these exact words one day. No joke.

So, what is sin anyway? Which commands do we have to obey? What does living a life of holiness even mean? Is it something we should even aspire to?

Exhibit A.Romans 6:1-2
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
 Exhibit B.Malachi 3:6-7
"For I, the LORD, do not change; …. "From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,"…

And if you agree that God has not changed, nor can he change, do you truly believe he changed his mind about what is right and wrong? Do you think you can interpret his commands however you want? Do you think holiness matters? I am not going to go into detail on all the many various topics that this can be applied to. But in your own mind, there is already something penetrating. Conviction, perhaps. Questions most certainly. Seek Him! Seek to truly obey Him, to truly do what God desires. To truly live set apart for Him.

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.