God called His people to be different. Holy. Set apart. A “peculiar people.” The nation followed complex food laws. They circumcised every male child. They sacrificed animals. They never worked on Saturday. Sometimes God’s “Peculiar People” must have felt peculiar.
Within Israel, there were individuals whose lives were even more peculiar: Levites, priests, and Nazirites to name a few. Samson may be the only Nazirite to maintain the difficult vow his entire life. Until he didn’t. And what happened when he cut his hair? The Holy Spirit left the strong man and he became like other men.
God calls Christians to be different—that is the meaning of ‘holy.’ It feels peculiar. But if we are just like everyone else, how do our lives give them hope? Have we cleaned up our speech, our lifestyle, our media, our addictions—or are we no different than the lost?
God calls Christian institutions to be peculiar too, whether churches, schools, or parachurch organizations. If an institution stands for Christ, it should glorify Him in every aspect. Fundraising should glorify Christ. Behavior on the football field should glorify Christ. The coach’s speech in the locker room should glorify Christ. –And that does not mean being soft. Nothing in the Bible should give you the impression Jesus is soft. Coaches and teachers should demand excellence. But their personal lives should demonstrate that they have done the hard work of bringing their own behavior into conformity with Christ.
When Christian institutions make compromises that surrender their separateness—they risk becoming Bald Samson: the blessing and power of the Holy Spirit may leave them.
“I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is proper worship. Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” Romans 12:1-2.
God, teach us to strive hard for holiness, while walking in Your Grace—and generously sharing it with others every day.
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