To what are we called to be?

If I believe there is a God, and if I believe that God has His hand in creating and running things on this planet, but what would His desire be for my life?  For what purpose do I exist?  Well, we may have not got that answer figured out completely yet, but I would venture to say there a place we can go to help us.....

• "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light..." - 1 Peter 2:9
• Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.  - Romans 12:2
• Since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”  - 1 Peter 1:16
• We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.  - Romans 6:6

There are lots of versus in God's Word that point to how we are supposed to be "different."  Different than the world around us.  Different than those who don't have the Spirit living within them.  Different than those we run into every day.  But if you look around, can you tell if someone is a Christ-follower?

We hear a lot of talk today about "Being Culturally Relevant" - a phrase common in modern & emergent churches.  It's another way of saying we are to be "in the world, but not of the world."  But did you know that phrase is not anywhere in the Bible?  It's not.....search for it!  Furthermore, the Greek word is cosmos, and is most often referred to the place where Satan reigns.  We are to be physically present in this cosmos, but not follow its values.  

So I'll ask a different question:  Are we called to be 'relevant' or to be 'set-apart?'  Because I don't think we can be both!  I believe that we are to "be Holy as God is Holy."  And, as we are growing Holy, that gives us the opportunity to be light in the darkness and to be "inf the world, but not of it."