If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.     John 15:19 CSB

Some things were just meant to go together and blend like peanut butter and jelly, creamer in coffee, and sugar in sweet tea. Other things don’t mix like oil and water.

As Christians, we must not be of the world. What does Jesus mean here when He says if you were of the world? The world refers to those who are unsaved. Those who are worldly are not focused on Him. They are not striving for righteousness. They are concerned with fulfilling their own fleshly desires.

As Christians, we must be set apart. We must stand out. We must not blend in. It will mean that we are not popular.

The Bible tells us to first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. We are to put God first and He will supply all we need. It doesn’t mean we will receive man’s approval. The Bible warns us against seeking man’s approval. In Galatians 1:10 Paul explains that he can’t seek man’s approval and be a servant of Christ.

In Luke 6:22, Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people hate you when they exclude you, insult you, and slander your name as evil because of the Son of Man.”

Being a Christian will not make you popular, it will cause you to stand out. There will be people who are drawn to you because you have something they don’t understand, but they want. We are told in Philippians 4:7 that the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

If we don’t stand out, we cannot lead people to the Lord. If we look like every other lost soul and talk like every other lost soul, we will go unnoticed and we will appear as just another lost soul. But if we don’t blend in, we will stand out.

There will be those who will come against us because we are Christians, but there will also be those who won’t understand the peace that is within us but will want it for themselves. This is when we can hopefully plant a seed and maybe even lead them to the Lord.

I urge you today, don’t blend in with the lost and dying in this world. Don’t blend in with those who are in bondage to sin and headed for an eternity in hell.

Don’t blend in, stand up and stand out for Jesus. Imitate Christ (Ephesians 5:1). Be a guiding light for those who are lost, but don’t join them in their sin. Don’t associate with those who are evil. We are told in 1 Corinthians 15:33 not to be deceived, bad company ruins good morals.

The Bible tells us many times in Scripture not to be deceived. It is important that we know our Bible so we can discern sound doctrine from false teaching. We must stand out even if others are being led astray, we must stand up for sound doctrine.

The only people we should blend in with is fellow believers. If you are not in a good Bible-teaching church, find one. When you are not blending in with the world, you will need a good church family to lean on.

Have a great day!