Am I set apart?

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Pergamum. This is the message from the one with the sharp two-edged sword: “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you there in Satan’s city. “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth. “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it. - Revelation 2:12-17 (NLT)

The church today, the church “of Jesus Christ,” is working very hard to be as much like the culture as possible, instead of fleeing those things. For decades, it has been popular for church leaders to make people come to church and feel like they’re at some worldly event. Church has become sinner-friendly instead of sinner-frightening. It’s become affirming rather than convicting, sentimental rather than theological, informal rather than solemn, entertaining rather than edifying, deceptive rather than honest, frivolous rather than worshipful – you get the idea. Churches don’t like the idea that they’re an offense to the culture, and they think that if they can just get close to everything that people enjoy in the culture, they can somehow win them over. - John MacArthur

Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”  2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (NLT)

You adulteresses [disloyal sinners—flirting with the world and breaking your vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend [that is, loving the things of the world] is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. - James 4:4 (Amplified Bible)

Do not love the world [of sin that opposes God and His precepts], nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the lust and sensual craving of the flesh and the lust and longing of the eyes and the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one’s resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father, but are from the world.  The world is passing away, and with it its lusts [the shameful pursuits and ungodly longings]; but the one who does the will of God and carries out His purposes lives forever. - 1 John 2:15-17 (Amplified Bible)

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,  “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘I am the Lord your God.  You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, and you shall not do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes (practices, customs).  You are to follow My judgments (precepts, ordinances) and keep My statutes and live by them. I am the Lord your God.  So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which, if a person keeps them, he shall live; I am the Lord. Leviticus 18:1-5 (Amplified Bible)

Is God honored by...
- how I invest my time
- my conduct in private
- my motives for what I do
- my commitment to His Word
- my commitment to prayer
- how I vote
- my church attendance
- my management of money
- my commitment to His will
- how I communicate
- how others perceive me

“If the world hates you [and it does], know that it has hated Me before  you.  If you belonged to the world, the world would love [you as] its own  would treat you with affection. But you are not of the world [you no longer belong to it], but I have chosen you out of the world. And because of this the world hates you. - John 15:18-19 (Amplified Bible)

Jesus, my Lord will love me forever,
From Him no power of evil can sever,
He gave His life to ransom my soul;
Now I belong to Him;

Now I belong to Jesus,
Jesus belongs to me,
Not for the years of time alone,
But for eternity. - Norman Clayton

Be Encouraged to emulate Christ, not culture.