God has always called His people to stand apart—to be holy, distinct, and a light in a world that doesn’t know Him. And yet, if we’re honest, there’s something in us that just wants to fit in.
We don’t want to stand out.
We don’t want to feel out of step.
We don’t want to be seen as different.
That struggle isn’t new.
In 1 Samuel 8, as the prophet Samuel grew old, the people of Israel faced a moment of decision. Instead of trusting God to lead them, they asked for something else—something that would make them feel more secure, more normal, more like the nations around them.
They asked for a king.
But their request revealed something deeper. God told Samuel, “They have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me.”
It’s easy to see how the world today rejects God’s authority. But what’s more challenging is this:
In what ways might we be doing the same—subtly, quietly, even unintentionally?
Where are we tempted to blend in rather than stand apart?
Learning to trust God as Father makes it possible to rest in Him even in the midst of pain, persecution, trials, and other difficulties. But if we’re going to trust God as Father, we must truly know Him as our Father and not just as God and Judge.
How do you see God? Do you see Him as a harsh judge just waiting to punish you? Do you see Him as a benevolent grandfather who’s not too concerned about whether or not you are holy? Or do you see Him as a Father, the only perfect father, one who cares about your holiness and not just your happiness, but a father who is trustworthy and has your best interests in mind? If not, I hope you will read today’s post and prayerfully think about these things.
Sadly, that is the perception of many. But growing in holiness is not becoming a dry, boring, legalistic fuddy-duddy. Rather, growing in holiness is to have the peace and joy that all of us want in our lives. It’s to become more like Christ, to have the wisdom to live a God-honoring life, to make wise decisions, and to avoid painful consequences. It’s to shine the light of a life well-lived in a dark world.
If that’s true, shouldn’t we all want to grow in holiness? If so, how do we do it?
And by contrast, how do some people end up pulled down into so much darkness? How does a habitual liar become one or some other life-dominating sin become a way of life? How does a truly evil person become that way?
God’s desire for us is for holiness. But holiness is more than our outward actions. It’s about what’s going on in our hearts. God repeatedly emphasizes the need for us to allow Him to work in our hearts. In the book of James, He gives us two powerful illustrations about how our thinking, part of what’s going on in our heart or inner man, affects our growth in holiness or conversely allows us to give in to sin.
Also, read about how we’re to respond when an enemy falls and the purpose of spiritual gifts.
Have you ever wondered why we don’t see the powerful moves of God that we read about in the Bible? Part of the reason is that God was moving in a particular way during the book of Acts and in the first-century church. He was validating the gospel, the reality of the resurrection, the truths of Scripture, and his call on the church to be a set-apart people made up of Jews and Gentiles. But that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t still do miraculous things. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, according to Hebrews 13.8. So why does there seem to be so little power in the church today? Could it have something to do with us?
