You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. Leviticus 18:3
Adapting to the actions that people do is something that most people are very good at doing. A person gets around some new people and he very quickly begins to act as they do, regardless of what he originally believed or thought.
Foreigners travel into the USA on a regular basis to begin a new life in America. Over time, a person will still have some of his cultural habits from his original country still in him. While this is still there, he will begin to assimilate into the cultural actions and thoughts of an American. He will begin to do as the people he is living around does.
As the Israelites were in the desert, God told them not to be like the Egyptians, whom they had left, nor to be like those in Canaan, where they are going to. Both the Egyptians and those in Canaan were people who did not follow God. They lived according to their own desires in sin. The Israelites were to be different, to think, speak and act differently than the others in the world.
Believers today are to be the same way. No believer should live as he used to live prior to coming to Jesus. Nor should he act like those around him. Every thought, action and spoken word is to be patterned after those of Jesus. He is to be set apart, holy unto the Lord.
Not every believer is living like this. Many have adapted the ways of the world and brought into the church as though it is a good thing. When looked at, many believers and churches don’t look any different from the world, actively participating in sinful ways and beliefs, while claiming to follow Jesus.
In your own life, you must be careful not to adapt to the ways of the world. You must also turn from your old ways to live for God.
When you look at your own life, who do you look, act and sound like? Are you looking like the world around you? Or are you looking like Jesus, who has saved you from all of your sin, cleansed you and made you whole, set apart to be different?
I pray today that you will know the salvation Jesus offers you; that you will live your life for God; that you will be set apart, holy unto God; that you will be a shining light of Jesus to this world; and that you will follow God with all of your life.
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