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 We
may need reminding that God’s people are different; that they
are necessarily and distinctively different from the world and
must ever be lot that being different is their objective, only
that it comes as a consequence of following the Lord. Those who
quit conforming to the world in favor of conforming to image of
Christ (Rom. 8:29) will be different, to be sure — but in a
way that is derived, not contrived.
Since
every Christian is a former conformer (Rom. 12:2), having “once
walked according to the course of this world” (Eph. 2:2), his
being different is the result of a remarkable change
having taken place in his life. Change makes different but
change not necessarily make better, when made in the name of
religion. The only change that makes one different and better in
this area is that which is directed by God’s will. Every point
at which a man is made different from the world by submitting to
the gospel is a point of improvement! Different? Yes! But always
for the better, never for the worse.
So,
what we’re talking about is a truth-related difference.
Just as the gospel truth is different and distinct from
all other doctrine, so must the lives of those who submit to it
be different accordingly. See the gospel as God’s shaping tool
and the Bible man’s character as the clay. But obviously,
even the powerful gospel cannot effect change where it is not
known and believed. This is why God wants “all the world”
and “every creature” to be informed with the gospel
message (Mk. 16:15,16). Only the informed can become true believers and
only
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believers can become the children of God (Jn. 1:12;
6:44,45). To put it another way, those who are conformed to this
world need to be informed in order to be transformed. In every
case of conversion recorded in the NT, what the obedient did was
in response to what they heard and learned. For example, in Acts
2 the Pentecostians heard Peter’s teaching (v.37) and
upon inquiring as to what they should do were told to “repent
ye, and be baptized... “ (v.38). “They then that received
his word were baptized” (v. 41) and thus began their “newness
of life” (Rom. 6:4) having become new creatures in Christ (2
Cor. 5:17). Transformed living still begins the same way. It is
what the Christian knows and believes that has made him
different and continues to make him different. In a word, it is
his faith; the faith that worketh through love (Gal. 5:6). Every
expression of true faith is a demonstration of the difference
between the Christian and the world. Nowhere is this more
clearly seen than in Heb. 11.
As
might be expected, the world generally resents this difference
because it stands condemned by the conduct of the godly. As
William Barclay put it, “The life of a good man always passes
a silent judgment on the life of an evil man”. So, God says,
“Marvel not, brethren, if the world hateth you” (1 Jn. 3:
13). Christians err in courting the world’s acceptance and
approval; it makes an apology for our distinctiveness. Being God’s
people does make a difference--you might say, a world of
difference! Dan S. Shipley
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