Different

It’s always been interesting to me that we don’t know anything about the life of Jesus, from the time he was 12 until the age of 30. What we do know is this; “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.” Luke 2:52. No one had anything bad to say about Jesus, or the life he lived, in fact it says that he found favor with God and all people. All those years he wo

rked with his family, was a paperboy for the House of Bread Press, went to Sabbath school and attended Bethlehem High, and not one bad report. Unbelievable, but true! I can almost hear his schoolmate’s parents, “Why can’t you be like that Jesus kid, instead of causing us all this aggravation? Go get another goat, we need to sacrifice, AGAIN!!” We know, but they didn‘t, that Jesus was sinless, and even though tempted, he never caved in. “Easy for him, difficult for me“, I say as I reach for another peanut butter cookie, or push past the posted speed limit, after all he is God’s son, and I‘m only human!! A while back I told you that when we ask Christ into our lives, God no longer sees the “old” people we were, instead he sees the righteousness of his son which has been imparted to us! I don’t know about you, but I think we should be living our lives differently from our “unsaved” friends and neighbors for that reason alone. Suppose I told you that I was embarking on a fabulous new diet, guaranteed to help me lose 10 pounds every 2 weeks, don’t you think you be watching me closely to see if that weight was falling off? I think, too, you’d be curious to see how I did it, what I was doing as far as exercise, and any other lifestyle changes I made. There are many “good” people on this earth, who do wonderful, kind deeds for mankind, even though they don‘t claim to have a relationship with God. The lives they live, at least on the surface, are exemplary. Do you live your life differently from these folks, because you have God’s Holy Spirit living inside you? If we claim to be Christians, filled with the supernatural power of God’s Holy Spirit, we better be displaying it. People are watching. “Merely being good”, or doing nice stuff, cuts no muster with God. Anyone can pull that old good/kind routine off once in a while, impressing those around them. But, when you’re put to the “test” that’s when the “difference” shows. Those following Jesus had questions regarding this issue, and here’s how he answered, “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:27-36. What does the world use as its standard for good/bad behavior? We all know it varies, whereas our model is the unchanging, always correct, Jesus. Faith in Christ, and reliance on his Holy Spirit to influence our behavior, especially in crisis situations, will show the world who we really are; a people representing him, and his standard . Yes, we can’t help living our lives differently, we are Jesus to the world, and he was the best “different” ever! “Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.”1 Timothy 4:16.