Being Set Apart For Christ

God calls us to be holy and set apart for Him.

As obediant children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy for I am holy." -1 Peter 1:14-16

To be holy means to be dedicated and set apart. It means to be sacred and consecrated.

The opposite of being holy is to be common. We are to be different from the world (Rom 12:2, Prv 14:12, Phil 2:15, 1 Jn 2:15-17, and Jn 15:19).

Some ways to be set apart for Christ are:

Have an outward focused heart

Serve others. Don't focus on self. Be self-less and continue to pour yourself out and serve others! Don't think about what you want to do; don't serve yourself; don't focus your thoughts on selfish things. Think about others; pray for others; serve others; care for others! You'll be surprised how much more joyful and content/satisfied you are when you are serving others and focusing on them instead of yourself. Have a servant's heart instead of self-pity.

Make Christ the center of your life

Spend time in His word and in prayer every day. Every decision should be made based of His word. Don't follow your emotions but follow Christ in everything! Every thought, action, and word should shine for Christ and be doing it for His glory! He should have the throne of your heart!

Shine for Christ

Shine bright for Christ everywhere you go! And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. Daniel 12:3

This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:5-7 

We must be a light and a witness for Christ to others.

Keep eternally minded

Always keep what is most important in mind. What will really matter when eternity comes. It doesn't matter how much fun you had. Or how much money you made. Or if you had fame. Or even who likes you and if you're popular. What matters is that we live for God and honor Him! We must keep eternity in mind every day.

Count trials joy and be willing to suffer for Christ

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, James 1:2  The apostles considered it a joy and an honor to suffer for Christ. We must too. Trials and hard times test our faith and help us to grow. God was willing to send His son to die a brutal death to save us. So we must be willing to suffer for Him and count it a privilege!

Stand for Christ; even if you're alone

Even if we're different and we don't fit in and everyone abandons us, we need to stand for Christ! We must stand firm and put on the armor of God! Don't shrink back. Don't be afraid to stand alone. Christ will give us all the strength we need to face what it is He wants us to face (Phil 4:13) even if it is standing alone. We must stand strong in the Lord!

Don't compromise your faith

No matter what, don't compromise to do what the world wants if it's not what God calls us to. This ties into standing firm for Christ! Don't compromise for the world's way. (1 John 2:15-17)

Don't fear man; trust in God

We don't need to fear what others will think of us. Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

We don't need to fear any man. God's love for us is unconditional and everlasting! He will not forsake us!

Always put your relationship with God first

Even if this puts a strain on other relationships, God needs to be first! Spend time with Him every day and pray to Him! Make sure your relationship with Him is right and that you are following Him! Always keep your eyes on Him!