Are you a Sojourner?

Why don't you work on Saturday?

Why don't you celebrate Christmas, Easter or Halloween and what about birthdays?

Why don't you eat pork?

Why don't your kids go to public school and why don't they play video games?

Why do you dress that way?

Why don't you listen to rock music or watch TV?

These are just a few questions that our family has been asked by those in the world, who think we are strange. To sum it up, one question could be asked: "Why do you not partake in worldly pleasures and cares?"

The answer is, because we are set apart to be a peculiar people. "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth" (Deuteronomy 14:2, KJV). We are to be different from the world because we have been chosen by the Most High. "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priest hood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should shew forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9, KJV).

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16, KJV). We are to be separate from the darkness by the way we live our lives. To be a light takes action.

We have been called for a greater purpose than those of the world: to live our lives for God each and every day. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28, KJV).

 Let's look at some of the ways the Bible points out about how we are to live our lives. Of course, we are to keep God's Sabbath, holy days and commandments. Those all set us apart, but what sets us apart on an ordinary, day-to-day basis? Let's consider a few ways that we are to be set apart from the world as sojourners.

Teaching Our Children God's Way
"And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates" (Deuteronomy 6:6-9, KJV).

God's way is not just lived on the Sabbath, but each and every day in our every action both day and night. Our children are watching our every move, they see and will follow our example. We are to set an example of God's way because not only are our children watching but the world is too. What a witness to have children who are well- behaved and actually want to do what is right in their hearts--a family that loves God and produces good men and women to resist the evil in this world. This is so rare! But yet we are called to be different!

Putting on the Armor of God 
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Ephesians 6:10-13, KJV). We are fighting a spiritual battle each and every day and need to put on God's armor daily so that we may stay strong. That means reading His Word daily to guard our hearts and minds so that we can stay pure, holy and set apart.

The Fruits of the Spirit 

If we have God's Spirit, we should be bearing His fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self control (Galatians 5:22-25). As parents, we are to be a role model of the fruits of the spirit to our children if we want to see these good qualities in them. How can we expect them to have patience, for example, if we don't? We have to show them how to walk. What a daily character building lesson for us that is ever constant in our homes. 

True Love
"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:9-13, KJV). Yeshua was so selfless and humble, to the point where he died to save us. What an action of true love!

 As we read farther down in this passage, we will see that the world will not love us if we are loving and living the way Yeshua has commanded us. "These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you" (John 15:17-19, KJV). So maybe if the world loves us we have a problem. Worldly love is not true love. It is not the love that God has given us.

To summarize, we have a message for the world through the way we live our lives. We must live out the word of God and stand firm in what we believe. Talk is cheap, but walking the walk on the path that God has laid for us is what we are called to do (Matthew 7:14), for his Word is the light for our path and we must do what it says. Have you ever heard anyone say this before: "The best sermon is lived, not preached?" That is a true statement but who actually has the actions and walks the walk, not just talks the the talk? We all need to ask ourselves, "Am I so different from the world as to be called a sojourner?"