Christians have been called by the gospel of Christ (Ephesians 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:14).  To walk worthy of our calling, we must be aware of the nature of our calling.  Paul helps us with that in the epistle he wrote to Timothy. 

2 Timothy 1:8-9 (ESV)
⁸  Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, ⁹  who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

Our call is a “holy calling.”  That means we have been called to live a sanctified and separated life.  It is a call to be different.  In a world where most prefer to follow the crowd, being different can be challenging.  That is probably why Paul exhorted Timothy not to be ashamed, an exhortation that we all need today.  

Being different is inevitable for Christians because the standard we live by is different from the world’s.  Our standard is the gospel of Christ.  While the world advocates a plurality of ways of living, the gospel standard teaches just one—following Jesus (John 14:6).  The world says that we can live any way we want morally, as long as it does not hurt anyone else.  The gospel teaches us to avoid the works of the flesh, walking by the teachings of the Spirit instead (Galatians 5:16-22).  Consider the contrast between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. 

Works of the flesh: Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,  idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, etc. 

Fruit of the Spirit:  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

No wonder Paul refers to our calling as holy.  A good number of the works of the flesh are not only common but pushed and promoted by the most influential people in the world.  To abstain from them is considered to be strange and abnormal.  If we dare teach that they are sinful, we will be considered mean, hateful people who will not be tolerated.

Never has the exhortation to be holy been more necessary than now. The cry to imitate the world’s way of thinking and living is loud.  We must listen to the proclamations of the Spirit.

Romans 12:2 (ESV)
²  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…

Like it or not, this is the nature of our calling.  We have been called to be different.  We have been called to be a part of the minority, meaning that we might, in one form or another, be persecuted by the majority.  Do not worry, the reward for maintaining our course is great.  

Matthew 5:11-13 (ESV)
¹¹  “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹²  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven… 

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.