Dare to be Different

by Pastor David Ferranti
Senior Pastor, Bay Valley Christian Church

In the world we live today, the standards that Christians have set in place for their lives are becoming bleaker and bleaker. Slowly, the difference between believer and unbeliever is becoming unnoticeable.

Take a look at a few of these observations:

What Is the Difference . . .

• Between the atheist who would not dream of financially supporting the church and the Christian who will not financially support the Lord’s church?

• Between the skeptic who does not believe the Bible and the negligent Christian who never reads it?

• Between those who do not believe in Bible classes and those who choose never to attend a class?

• Between the atheist who does nothing to build up the Lord’s church and the Christian who finds fault with others but does nothing himself?

• Between a man of the world and a person in the church who lives like a man of the world?

These are tough questions for Christians who live in a tough world.  The fact is that Christians make no difference until they are different.

The word “Christian” actually means “little Christ or Christ-like.” So if we are calling ourselves followers of Christ, shouldn’t we model our lives after His and not after the world? If we’ve truly surrendered our life to Him, then there should be evidence of that through the change in us. Christians are meant to be different. Our character, our actions, our words, and our attitudes should be different.

Ephesians 5:8-9 says, “For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.”

In addition, the Lord tells us that even though we are in the world, we are not to be of the world. John 15:18-19 reads, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.”

I want to encourage you to live your life after the One who truly stood out from the rest. Jesus dared to be different. I encourage you today to follow His example.