Be Set Apart.

I'll start off this blog by defining what being set apart means to me.

Picture a bag of M&M's. When you dump them all out there are all different colors, but they are all still M&M's. Pick any color, there's the Christians. Pick another color, those are Buddhists. Pick another, Islamic. Pick another, atheists. Etc. But  no matter what, they are all still M&M's. They are all contained in a bag together, and they all taste the same. Just like an M&M, we are suppose to be around others and associate with them. The only difference between us and them, is that we are a certain color and they are another. We aren't better or superior, we are equal, we are chocolate. On the inside, we all struggle with the same things. It's what we choose to do that creates a different outward appearance, sets us apart. It's not a physical placement of being set apart, it's an emotional, spiritual, and decision making set apartness. Because even when you separate all the M&M's by color, they are all still M&M's and they all taste the same. Yet there is a chemical difference in each color in order to get 5 different colors.

This is the chemical make up of unbelievers, those addicted and a slave to sin, pain, and suffering...

^"19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21

Sounds pretty rough. Check out the make up of a Christian (what we work towards, it doesn't happen over night)

^"22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" Galatians 5:22-23

I don't know about you, but I would much rather have love, joy, and peace rather than hostility, quarreling, and jealousy. Yet, the first is the hardest to let go of because it's our nature to be that way. It takes a great deal of hard work, heart sifting, and changing to get there. This is how we do it.

"²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there." Galatians 5:24

I don't know about you, but that is so powerful.

Now, what does that look like? Lets say you're a Christian and have Christian friends, or non Christian friends. Your friends decide that they want to go to this party where you know everyone is probably going to get trashed. This is where you become set apart and die to your sinful nature to say yes. Anything listed in Galatians 5:19-21 should not be participated in. That is how we are set apart. Not by how much we read our Bibles, how many services we go to, or how much we volunteer at the church. We are set apart by the way we live, and what we choose to participate in. The less you participate in Galatians 5:19-21, the more you will become verses 22 and 23. As a whole, it seems extremely hard. But if you take it decision by decision, moment by moment, day by day, it will become easier and easier and the opportunities to take part in verses 19-21 will become less and less because people will know where you stand. You will still be an M&M, you'll just be a specific colored one.

What do you do when a friend of yours falls into Galatians 5:19-21?

^"1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. ² Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. ³ If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important." Galatians 6:1-3

I think Paul said it perfectly. Especially verse 3. That is why I wrote this blog, to clarify that being set apart has nothing to do with being prudish, but everything to do with sin and simply choosing not to take part.