The life of a Christian is meant to be holy. But what does that word mean?

It means to be set apart from everything else, to be separate, to stand out so completely that there seems to be a chasm between you and everyone else.

You are called to be in the world, but not of the world.

This means that while you’re here on earth, you will need to use what is available to you, food, shelter, and any other basic need.

However, anything that is not a basic need and is not necessary for your survival, needs to be scrutinized with the harshest of criteria.

A true follower of Jesus Christ lives a consecrated life.

To live a consecrated life means that everything you do, say, think, feel and are revolves and is centered around God.  It means that you have formally dedicated yourself to God’s divine purpose in your life.

If you have devoted your life to Christ in this way, if you have consecrated yourself to him, if you have sold out to him completely, and him alone, you will look like a stranger to everyone who hasn’t done the same.

Looking like a stranger to those who are of this world is a wonderful thing.

A stranger to this world is a friend to Christ.  

Is this an easy thing to do? Absolutely not, in fact, I submit to you that it is the hardest thing you’re going to do in your entire earthly walk with Christ. Why? Because the world will constantly try to pull you back in once you separate yourself from it. The devil will constantly be whispering in your ear trying to convince you that concentrating yourself to God isn’t worth it.

Back in the first century when religion had far more weight and effect on everyone’s daily lives, this was easier. Why? Because everyone was doing it in some way shape form or fashion. They might’ve been concentrating themselves to the wrong God because there’s only one true God, but they were all still aiming for the same goal.

Now, however, in modern times… While Christians don’t have people like ancient Rome to contend with, while we don’t currently have a consistent threat of death because of what we believe here in the United States, we face other difficulties that I’m not sure they did in the first century.

These difficulties, they make it virtually impossible for someone not fully committed to God to live the way he wants us to to live concentrated to him and him alone. We are born with an innate need for companionship and belonging, we want to be liked by everyone around us. Consecration calls us to ignore that biological imperative and seek only the approval and companionship of God.

If we do this, we will be tested every second of every day. Our resolve will be tried. Our strength will be pushed to the limit.

However, if we are leaning on God, we will not break because it’s his strength that empowers us.  

We will be able to deal with the anger, harassment, violence, ridicule, judgment, and hatred that the world will pile on us because of what we have chosen because of who we have chosen, and because of how we have chosen to live.

We are called to be strangers in this world, to be in it and not of it.

To walk in it as if it is a foreign land.

This is because it should be a foreign land to us because as believers in Christ, heaven, God’s kingdom, God’s presence is our one and only true home.

-MB