I am reminded of the several verses of the Bible that teaches us that those who are the followers of God are to be different – even the apostle Paul understood this as he wrote how Jesus, Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works (Titus 2:14). A peculiar people – as God had intended the Children of Israel to be: 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). We are called to be different than the lost world around us. As Christians, we are sanctified according to the teachings of the apostle Paul: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (I Corinthians 6:11). The idea that both words teach is that we are to be set apart from the world, to be different and unusual. Our very lives are to be a living testimony to our love of God, his love for us, and a reflection of the grace he gives us on a daily basis.
I never expected any student to ask me the questions that she did. As I gave her honest answers about my faith, I did remember the how the wisdom of the apostle Peter is so important to Christians today: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (I Peter 3:15). Not only are we to live a life that reflects Christ, we are to be ready to explain why our faith is different than those around us. We are supposed to be ready to give an account of the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. As she began to ask more questions, I could see that she was trying to find the one thing I could pass on to her that would change her life and make her different than those she had described to me earlier. As I explained to her about Jesus, the plan of salvation using the tried and true Romans Road, I was able to lead her into prayer and accept Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior.
As Christians, we never know who’s watching us and judging our daily walk based on the other “Christians” they know. We may not realize the silent testimony we present in the workplace, at the grocery store, or even within the walls of the church itself. I never expected to lead that young lady to the Lord last week; but apparently I had been witnessing to her since the first day of the class though not once before last Monday had I ever brought up the name of Jesus to her. How we treat others – our brothers and sisters in the faith, the lost, family, coworker, friend, or stranger does matter. It can make the difference of an eternal future of heaven or hell for those we interact with every day.
