"SET APART" - January 2010

SET APART by God... or from God?

"You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own."

Leviticus 20:26 NIV

"Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him."

Psalm 4:3 NIV

""Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

Jeremiah 1:5 NIV

The words 'set apart' are 2 action verbs that together mean, 
1. To reserve for a specific use.
2. To make noticeable: character traits that set her apart.

1. set apart - select something or someone for a specific purpose; "The teacher assigned him to lead his classmates in the exercise"

assign, specify, choose, pick out, select, take - pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives; "Take any one of these cards"; "Choose a good husband for your daughter"; "She selected a pair of shoes from among the dozen the salesgirl had shown her"
dedicate - set apart to sacred uses with solemn rites, of a church
detail - assign to a specific task; "The ambulances were detailed to the fire station"


2. set apart - set apart from others; "The dentist sequesters the tooth he is working on"
keep apart, sequestrate, isolate, sequester, disunite, separate, part, divide - force, take, or pull apart; "He separated the fighting children"; "Moses parted the Red Sea"

How are you living your life? Did you even know that God has set you apart? He picked us even before we were born, when we were in our mother's womb. (Jeremiah 1:5 see above). Each person on earth was created by Him, and made to worship Him and do His good work that He has set for us to do. However, due to SIN and worldy views, only a few that He has picked or selected will choose or have chosen to take up our crosses and follow Him. He has set us apart from this world on purpose. As the first definition above states, He has 'reserved us for a specific use'. We are in this world, but not of this world. He has called us all to be His children. However, few are chosen to do His Will and to walk in His ways. Matthew 22:14 says, "For many are called, but few are chosen."

Are YOU set apart BY God? Don't YOU want to be one of the CHOSEN?

As I have said above, we were all made to worship God. Unfortunately some have chosen their own path of life, and they choose to be set apart FROM God. What a world of dismay, bitterness, sadness & hurt it would be without the love and mercy of our Father. Making the conscious (& sometimes sub-conscious) decision to set yourself apart FROM God, is the worst mistake you can make in your lifetime. The only option at the end of your life here on earth is the fiery pit of Hell. It's not all fun and games, and dancing with the devil. It's an eternal burning... just like the Energizer bunny keeps going, Hell keeps on burning and burning and burning. I myself would not want to imagine being in an eternal fire of pain and torture, and mass destruction. Choose LIFE! Eternal life and freedom. Choose to set yourself apart... apart from the ways of this world!

So what does a life show that is SET APART (for God)? Taking the 2nd definition above, 'To make noticeable: character traits that set her apart.' A life that is set apart for God will be noticeable to the world. The easiest difference to see is LIGHT in the DARKNESS. But we should have other characteristics that show forth as well. One of the main ones is LOVE. "The world will know us by our love." There are many different attributes that we should exhibit. Rather than go on our own means, we should follow the example that was set for us by Christ himself. The 'Fruit of the Spirit' are a good start to follow. (Galatians 5:22) Another important one that we should be showing forth is FAITH. We need to be men and women walking in faith. We need to trust the Lord God who created us, and Him who has great plans for our lives.

If we are SET APART for God, and by God we will strive to live the life of worship to our Lord. Worship that is in spirit and in truth. According to Scripture that is what the Lord is looking for in His believers. "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:23-24 NIV

The keywords here are SET APART. God didn't set us aside, to leave us on our own, He set us apart as His own to do the Will of God. Jesus came to this earth, and knew even at the young age of 12 that He was sent to do the work of the Father.

The choice is up to you... You have already been chosen, but you now have to choose whether to be a part of God's team or not. Just as Joshua asked his men in the Word, I am asking you, "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living." As Joshua continued and declared, I proudly declare with him, "But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15 NIV)

Prayer: Heavenly Father we come to you, as those you have SET APART and chosen to live an eternal life with you. God I pray for others who may have set themselves apart FROM you, that they may choose this day whom they will serve. I pray that You will grant us wisdom and discernment in our times of dismay and uncertainty. This world has so much to offer us, and I know that You are offering us that which is greater and better for us. Help us to make the right decisions in life, and to do the Will of You our Father in Heaven. Encourage us in times of trials, uplift us in times of sadness, grant us your Heavenly peace in times of turmoil, and love us and continue to show us Your mercy when we least deserve it. Hold us in Your arms and never let us go. Help us be the shining lights that You call us to be, as we set an example to those around us. Help us choose to do that which is right, and to exhibit characteristics of Jesus Your son, so that they in turn will choose who they will serve. Let us know that You are here, and that You are in control of everything in our lives, from the small to the great. I ask all these things in the name of Jesus, AMEN!

Be blessed and CHOOSE this day whom you will serve, and live the life of one who is SET APART.