“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: 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: 11-14 KJV).
The Christian, according to the Bible, should be a peculiar person (1 Peter 2: 9) in this present evil world. They should be distinctively different, unique, and strange. That’s because they’re a new creature in Christ, with a new nature that’s from Christ, and experiencing a new power that is the grace of Christ. They’re still in this world but not of this world because they’re citizens of Heaven, having been born-again or born from above, and live for Him who gave His life on Calvary to save them. His imminent return to take them from this sin-cursed world to Heaven, where they’ll live with Him forever, is the impetus for their holy living (1 Jn. 3: 1-3).
If someone who is a professing Christian is not peculiar, then they are either truly still lost or a disobedient Christian. There is something strange and wrong about a Christian that is not peculiar.
Israel, through their obedience to the commandments God gave them, were peculiar to all the pagan nations around them (Ex. 19: 5; De. 14: 2; 26: 18; Ps. 135: 4). When they failed to obey them, they lost their peculiarity and became worse than the pagans. It’s obedience to God’s Word that makes God’s people different from everyone else. And if they’re not obedient, they’re no different than anyone else.
If a Christian is obedient to God’s Holy Word, then they are establishing their life on God’s Word and are living by His Word. In a world that is living in sinful disobedience and rebellion against God’s Word, the Christian will definitely be peculiar because they will be holy. A Christian will be known by the godly life they live and not by a shirt they wear with a religious slogan.
A Christian who is disobedient to God’s Word has no testimony or witness because they are no different than the world. They can not testify of God’s blessings, which would have come if they’d been obedient, and they can not witness His transforming grace because only obedience to His Word transforms us. It is, therefore, the obedient, peculiar Christian who has experienced God’s blessings and transforming power and has a witness and testimony that is used by God.
Many Christians are disobedient and out of fellowship with God because they’re afraid of what the world might say if they’re peculiar. But it is only as the Christian, being peculiar, is obedient to God and is walking in His fellowship, that they have something to say to the world and that the world will listen to.
So the Christian’s peculiarity comes through submission to the Lordship of Christ, the authority to God’s Word, and willful obedience to His commandments. When the church lost its peculiarity through disobedience to God, it lost its witness, testimony, and the power to impact the world for Christ. Only a revival of humble submission and obedience to God and His Word will restore it.
