While listening to K-Love I heard Ed Lanay (I may have spelled his name wrong) share his “word” for the year 2011.  He shared how he was reading in Exodus and the word DISTINCTION jumped off of the page.  


In Exodus 8:23, God said He was going to make a DISTINCTION between His people and the Egyptians.

Exodus 8:23

I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This sign will occur tomorrow.
Ed is checking his life to see if there is a distinction between those who don’t know Jesus and himself.
This really made me think about something I’ve been seeing lately.  
I have been hearing others really take a stand on the gift of God’s grace.  Yes, hallelujah — it is by His grace alone that we are saved.  It is NOTHING we have done.  Nothing we can earn.  Nothing we deserve.  Jesus died and took on our sins.  All of those statements are 100% true.
But …  (you heard that coming didn’t you?)
Does that mean we don’t have any responsibility for the way we present ourselves to the world?  
Jesus ate with sinners … reached out to sinners … loved sinners, but he didn’t do what the sinners did.  Right?  Wasn’t He DISTINCT?
Ephesians 4:29

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

We have a responsibility to look different, to sound different.  Right?  Are we trying to EARN our spot in heaven by obeying God’s Word?  No.  We do it because we love God and we feel conviction by His Spirit when we go against His Word.

Colossians 3:8
But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

So Ed Lanay, THANK YOU for putting this on my heart this morning.  I want to check my heart and my life as well. 

Do I look DISTINCT?  I certainly pray I do!  

Do YOU look distinct?