Set Apart
If you’ve gone to church long enough, you have undoubtedly heard someone say that we (Christians) are set apart. What does that actually mean? If you go by the context most often expressed in sermons and statements in church, you’d probably come away with the understanding that the speakers believe Christians are special. In their eyes, Jesus chose us and we agreed to follow him, so that raises us above the rest of the world. Though you might not hear it explicitly stated, it would not be unusual to hear that statement and come away from the encounter thinking that the speaker is saying that Christians are better people. Certainly, nonbelievers pick up on the sentiment and perceive it that way in many cases given that a common criticism of believers by nonbelievers is that “They think they’re better than everybody else.” Such an accusation is definitely not true for all Christians, but it's probably not unusual for believers to feel a sense of pride in the idea that God chose ...