Be different

Explore the Bible
February 5, 2012

Bill Scroggs, pastor
First Baptist, Petit Jean 

Scripture passage:
Deuteronomy 12:1-16:17 

From iPhones to vegetarian meals, many products claim to be “just like the real thing.” In fact, a vegetarian producer was found using an edited picture of meat on one of their advertisements. There is none “just like” God, for He is the real thing. We are to choose to do the right thing as the writer of Deuteronomy 12:1 says.

“Be careful to follow these statutes and ordinances in the land that Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess all the days you live on the earth” (Deut. 12:1, HCSB). 

As the children of Israel are challenged in Deuteronomy 12:8, we are to be different in our worship. We must stay with the original, worshiping the Lord God as He laid out the place, the method and the Who of worship. This does not mean we can’t sing a new song or use new melodies, but we must keep God as the center of all worship. We are neither to accept substitutes nor watered-down versions of the object of worship, which is Jehovah God. 

We are to be different in our bodies, keeping ourselves pure and not following after the world and its traditions (Rom. 12:1-2). The world desires to lead us into the temptations of conformity to its traditions and the traps that go with it. God desires that our thoughts learn of Him and His Word.

We are to be different in the dispensing of our money. Deuteronomy 14 is one place in God’s Word where we are taught to tithe (10 percent), which is different from the way the world chooses to live and spend for itself. We are to be different by giving of the firstfruits, rather than giving of the leftovers, which is the way the world would have us give. Deuteronomy 15-16 continues reminding us to be different in the stewardship of our resources. We are to save our resources and to use that with which we have been blessed to honor God. Also, we are reminded by this challenge: “Everyone must appear with a gift suited to his means, according to the blessing the LORD your God has given you” (Deut. 16:17, HSCB). 

Now – isn’t that different?