One of the greatest downfalls of the Israelites was their desire to be like the other nations. They longed to be like the people around them. Whether that meant by serving idols or by choosing to have a king instead of the leadership of the Lord. Decisions that both lead to bad times after bad times. Yet they still never learned that you cannot serve God and also be like the world. As God Himself emphasized to them when He said that He had set them apart as His chosen people.
Ezekiel 20:32 (ESV)
32 “What is in your mind shall never happen—the thought, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone.’
1 Samuel 8:4–9 (ESV)
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah 5 and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord.
7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8 According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. 9 Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”
Deuteronomy 7:6 (ESV)
6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
Ezekiel 20:12 (ESV)
12 Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.
What we must realize is that this is still true for Christians today. Receiving salvation and starting a new life in Christ separated us from the world. We can no longer think as the world thinks, acts as they act, or live as they live. Because God has called us to a different way of living according to His word. We can’t live for God and hope to still look like the world. Living for God should set us apart. It should cause us to appear different from those who live on the outside.
Christians should be noticeable in this world because our actions should contradict the actions of the world. Those who live for God should be the most humble, kind, loving, patient, gentle, merciful, forgiving, generous, hardworking, and all-around best people in the world. Not because we are better than anyone else or because we are perfect. But because we are simply doing our best every day to imitate the life of the one who saved us. The one who models every one of those characteristics. Still extending those very same things to us as we stumble and fall through life.
1 Corinthians 11:1 (ESV)
11 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Ephesians 5:1–2 (ESV)
5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
1 John 2:6 (ESV)
6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
The Bible even tells us that the Old Testament scriptures act as an example to us living today. Teaching us how we are to live which in many cases is done by showing us what not to do. In this case, we should learn from the mistakes of the Israelites. Realizing that a desire to be like the rest of the world will only separate us from God.
1 Corinthians 10:11 (ESV)
11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.
The sad truth is that too many Christians spend time watching how the other side lives. Which starts to draw them to the fun and free lifestyle they perceive the world to have. One of freedom, fun, and excitement. Because that’s what the world claims to have but the Bible says they claim freedom but in fact are bound. Many Christians feel as though they are fenced in, held back, or are kept from going to certain places. Yet what they fail to realize is that they are the free ones.
2 Peter 2:19 (ESV)
19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.
It’s like a cow sticking its head through a fence looking at the cows on the other side that appear to be free. All that cow wants to do is get through the fence to the others so it can experience the freedom they seem to have. But if you zoom out you will see that it is in fact the cow who is doing all it can to get to the others who is, in fact, free. While it is the cows that appear to be living such a free and happy life that are in fact fenced in. The one cow has been so consumed watching the others that it has completely missed the freedom it has all around it. All it needs to do to experience freedom is simply turn away from the others.
If we are not careful we can be that cow. We can become so consumed trying to look at the other side that we completely miss the freedom we have in Christ. Freedom to live any way we chose and to go where we please. To have true joy that’s not attached to alcohol, drugs, or even other people. Freedom from the sins of this world that only offer fleeting pleasure but lifelong pain. The world wants you to believe that you are trapped and they are free but that’s only one more of the devil’s desperate attempts to win you back to a life of sin. Don’t let it sway your faith.
The people of Israel believed being like the others nations would bring them peace and happiness but scripture tells that they only received the opposite. Yet, had they only lived a God-focused life they would have received life more abundant. Don’t be deceived as they were. Know that you don’t need to be more like the world to be happy you simply need to turn your focus to God. Then you will be blessed beyond what the world can ever even begin to imagine. Like peace that surprises all understanding and the great gift of eternal life to only name a few.
Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Philippians 4:6 (ESV)
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
John 3:16 (ESV)
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
You have two choices in this life. You can be like the world or you can put off the things of this world and live for God. One way leads to destruction and the other leads to eternal life. There is no middle ground to walk on. Attributes can’t be taken from both and result in heaven. By choosing to follow the world you will forfeit any of the blessings offered by the Lord.
The simple truth is that you cannot live for God and also live like the world. Don’t be tricked into believing you can have the best of both worlds and don’t get caught up in believing they have it better. Remember you are free in Christ just take a minute to look around and it will become clear that you don’t need to anything the world has to offer.
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