Be Different video

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Christians. This is the title given to followers of Jesus Christ — those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior, who believe that He was crucified, died a very painful death to pay for the penalty of our sins, and was raised from the dead so that we may have eternal life.

If there is one very important thing we are to think about as Christians, it is that Christians must be different from the rest of the world. We are called to live a life of purity and holiness because we represent Jesus to those who do not know Him yet. We are to live in purity so that they will be attracted to Christ.

The apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4:17-20 that since we know Christ, since we have heard Christ, since we have learned Christ, since we were taught by Christ, we “should no longer walk” like those who don't know Christ because of:

1. DECEPTION. The world has a very different set of values, a different mindset, and a different culture. The world's futile thinking is deceitful because it promises happiness from money, relationships and material things — things that fade away and lose their luster. The deception is that apart from God, we can find happiness and love.
2. DETERIORATION of a life apart from God. This leads to “lewdness, to works of all uncleanness with greediness” (verse 19). A life of sin will lead to more sin. Immoral thoughts will lead to pornographic magazines, pornographic magazines will lead to X-rated movies, and these in turn will lead to immoral relationships, more lies and deception. Sin leads to more sin.
3. DENIAL. The world, because of the “blindness of their heart” (verse 18), does not accept the finished work on the cross, which is a denial of Jesus' overwhelming love and grace. It is a denial that Jesus is God, that Jesus is Lord, and that Jesus is sovereign over the world.

Thankfully, the apostle Paul continued to write Ephesians 4:22-25 to encourage us and to explicitly tell us HOW we can be different for Jesus; how we can live victorious lives that will bring honor and glory to Jesus:

1. PUT OFF THE OLD SELF. In Ephesians 4:22, Paul says, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.”We can choose to put off our old self just as we take off our soiled and dirty clothes. Our old self identifies us as a prisoner of our sins. Just as a prisoner chooses to remove his prison uniform when he is released from jail, we can choose to put off our old self as Jesus gives us a completely new wardrobe through His amazing grace.
2. BE RENEWED. Ephesians 4:23 says we are to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” Just as the world thinks that clothes make a man, we are called to make a paradigm shift and realize that it is character that defines a Christian.Character involves the mind and the heart. Our character is renewed when we pursue our relationship with Jesus through Bible studies, through the disciplines of prayer and quiet time, and through fellowship with other Christians in a small group. Romans 12:1-2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
3. PUT ON CHRIST. Ephesians 4:24-25 gives us a very simple application. We are to “put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”As we get rid of our vices and favorite sins, we need to fill our lives with Christ so that these past habits will not come back. Many times, we think that putting off the old self and the old sins is enough. Our outward behavior may change, yet being renewed in the mind and putting on Christ is a key ingredient of being different for Christ.We can pull off the weeds in a garden, but unless new grass is planted, the weeds will come back, with a vengeance. Real heart transformation takes place only when we put on Christ and ask Christ to take control of our lives.

The apostle Paul then leads us to apply these points in verse 25 “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.”

The simplest application that the apostle Paul gives us is in the area of lying because lying is the most evident characteristic of a life apart from Christ. We tell half-truths, white lies and exaggerations. We misrepresent, omit facts, break promises and miss deadlines that we have committed to meet, and we do this even to our Dgroups and our families. Paul encourages us to speak the truth because we are family — “members of one another.”

We belong to the one body of Christ. We need to build up, encourage and help one another. What better way to do this than to start speaking the truth in love to one another?

More importantly, as we speak the truth in love, we become witnesses for Jesus to others who need Him in their lives. Our lives become the testimonies for others so that they may be attracted to the Gospel of Grace — that through His sacrificial work on the cross, Christ can also transform our lives for His glory as we accept Him to be our Lord and Savior.