10 Ways God Desires to Set Apart His People
Sometimes we misunderstand what set apart means for God’s people.
Because the purpose in being set apart is to be set to something else.
Biblically speaking, something else is desiring what God desires for us.
It means desiring someone else—God. And not desiring the things of this world more.
So here are 10 things God desires to set us apart from that help us to desire Him.
(1.) God desires to set us apart from other gods.
Even after we realize God is the one true God, we still struggle with letting Him reign supreme in our lives. And other gods are anything or anyone that take the Lord’s place in our heart—even “me.”
(2.) God desires to set us apart from religion.
When the Lord sets us apart from the rules and regulations of doing to obtain salvation, we are free to just being in Him, His free gift of grace. This sets us to a deep and intimate relationship with the God of the universe.
When the Lord sets us apart from the rules and regulations of 'doing' to try to obtain salvation, we are free to just 'being' in Him, His free gift of grace. This 'sets us to' a deep and intimate relationship with God. Share on X(3.) God desires to set apart His people from culture.
God never meant for us to look to humans (including ourselves) for how to live and make important life decisions. People operate in the natural while God operates in the supernatural. God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).
(4.) God desires to set us apart from lies.
The enemy of our souls, Satan, capitalizes on falsehood spoken over our lives. He makes sure lies are spoken to our hearts and minds daily to keep us from the truth. But God is Truth; the Holy Scriptures are Truth; Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).
(5.) God desires to set us apart from unforgiveness.
God’s people are called to forgiveness as we have been forgiven by God through the blood of Jesus Christ. God gives us the power and ability to truly and fully forgive. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 (ESV)
(6.) God desires to set apart His people from hatred.
There’s a lot of hate in the world and plenty of reasons to harbor hatred against those different from us, those with opposite opinions, and those who seem unlovable. Yet, what really sets us apart as God’s people is love.
There’s a lot of hate in the world and plenty of reasons to harbor hatred against those different from us, those with opposite opinions, and those who seem unlovable. Yet, what really sets us apart as God's people is love. Share on X(7.) God desires to set us apart from unrighteousness.
Unrighteousness is the exact opposite of God’s holiness. God sets us apart from it to set us to holy living or right-living according to God’s Word which only comes through Christ living in us. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
(8.) God desires to set us apart from condemnation.
Others, the enemy, and our own hearts often condemn us. But condemnation is not of God. Instead, the Lord frees us from a condemning spirit by convicting us of sin and giving us a clean slate after repenting.
(9.) God desires to set apart His people from unbelief.
We were created to believe in who God is and what God does—He is all powerful and able to do anything. But due to a fallen world, we learned to doubt and question real faith in a real God. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
(10.) God desires to set us apart from death.
Praise God, He separated us from spiritual death, giving us eternal life! So, we live differently as God’s sons and daughters knowing in Him we have new life, abundant life, and everlasting life.
God desires to set us apart from other gods, religion, culture, condemnation, unbelief, and more. Share on X
How can we focus on living as a set-apart believer who desires God above all else?
Another way to be set apart is in marriage: 26 Ways to Strengthen Our Marriage A-Z
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© 2021 by Karen Friday, All rights reserved
On our podcast, my husband and I discuss recent adventures from our YouTube Channel, and our Journey to Hope segment, this set apart article.
Thanks for the great list. I am glad God sets us apart.
Yvonne, I just hope and pray we know the setting apart is to set us to God!
Thanking God today for setting His children apart from the world. Blessings, Karen!
Me too, Martha! God desires to set us apart from other gods, religion, culture, condemnation, unbelief, and more.
Keeping our eyes and hearts fixed on Jesus throughout the day, from the earliest moments to the final ones of the day, help us to desire the Lord above all else and all other, and keep us focused on him above and beyond anyone else. Pausing throughout the day to refocus on him is a good strategy.
Good thoughts, Melinda. The enemy loves to distract us from our focus on God. And how convenient Satan hopes we never figure out this set apart thing. But we’re on to him.
Great list. But my favorite of the points you made is:
“Because the purpose in being set apart is to be set to something else.”
How often we forget that!
Thank you, Ava. When the Lord showed me that idea, it stuck with me. And it makes sense. We can’t be set apart to nothing. It’s always to something else. God bless!
Love your messages Karen. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. Blessings.
Very kind of you to say, Melissa. I pray others will know we are set apart by our love.
Really enjoyed this article, Karen. Love how you have used scripture to validate your points.
Appreciate that, Carl. Glad it encouraged you. I hppe to remember being set apart means to be “set to” something else. God and His desires! God bless!
What a wonderful post Ms. Karen. Thank you for causing me to take an honest look at myself. I’m still a “work in progress”, but our faithful God has promised to see my reconstruction project to its completion. God’s blessings gentle friend.
We’re all a WIP rather we admit it or not. I pray the Lord continues to teach me how to be set apart from the things that displease Him and to be set to His desires and Him.
We truly are set apart in Christ, and because of that, we have such incredible freedom!
Agree, Jessica. Freedom goes hand in hand with being set apart. Great point!
I love the idea of being set apart TO something. Wonderful post, Karen. God bless!
Nancy, I pray to be set apart and to God and His desires.
I love that only God can enable and empower us to live this kind of life! It takes the pressure off us to think we have to do it on our own. Instead, we yield ourselves to Him repeatedly and watch Him do His work.
What a wonderful Savior!
Yes, Linda! Christ in us, the hope of glory! Colossians 1:27
Hallelujah and Maranatha Amen-Amein Sweet Sister in Jesus-Yeshua Christ-Messiah Karen!!
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their CREATOR ( Our ONE TRUE GOD the HEAVENLY FATHER and HIS SON JESUS-YESHUA CHRIST-MESSIAH ) with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness!!
Happy Birthday too Our Judeo-Christian Nation United States of America July4th 1776 too July 4th 2021 Everyone!! ~> ( https://kristiann1.com/2016/07/01/h4thusa/ )!!
GOD BLESS ALL my Sisters and Brothers in Christ Jesus-Yeshua and my Messianic Jewish Sisters and Brothers in Christ-Messiah Jesus-Yeshua and my Devout Jewish Sisters and Brothers and Your Families and Friends!!
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Shalom Aleichem and Mazel Tov Everyone!! ❤
I Love ❤ you all Everyone through Jesus-Yeshua Christ, because HE LOVED EVERYONE FIRST!! Praise Jesus-Yeshua Christ for Today and Everyday!!
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Love ❤ Always and Shalom, YSIC \o/
Kristi Ann
God bless you, Kristi Ann! Thankful for your ministry online and your faithfulness to our Lord and Savior!
Karen, as silly as this sounds, I have never really considered the second half of being set apart as being set TO something else. I really resonated with the things you share we are set apart from. We are set apart from lies. That’s probably one of the most challenging realities to live into, if that makes sense. Yes, Jesus is THE Way, THE TRUTH, and THE Life. I appreciate this reminder.
No, Jeanne, it doesn’t sound silly at all. This is something I recently felt the Lord impressed upon my heart. And it resonated with me to realize we aren’t set apart from specific things to no-thing. The purpose really is to be set to God, holiness, and His purposes.
Karen, What a great list of things we are set apart for. I have never thought about all these ways befoe. it is rather exciting.
Thank you, Theresa. I pray we allow God to set us apart from anything that keeps us from God and our setting to Him.
Tweeted this truth!
I am so grateful for the set apart AND the blessings we are set TOWARD
Yes! Thanks for sharing this, Michele. God does immeasurably more. He does far more abundantly than all Michele asks or thinks or imagines—to a greater degree and plentiful. Because God provides all His glorious riches to her.
What a blessed privilege to be set apart for His purposes. We must be careful not to squander the opportunity.🛐
Barb, agree 100%, may we let the Lord help set us apart and to Him.
Karen, you have brought out such a powerful truth – we are set apart and often perceive this as meaning isolated and lonely. But the truth is “the purpose in being set apart is to be set to something else.” To Someone else and therefore, we are never alone, never isolated, and are given a life full of meaning.
Joanne, love the thoughts you shared. It absolutely does add the idea of never being alone or isolated from the Lord. Hallelujah!
These are so good, Karen. The churches I came up in placed great emphasis in what we should be separated from, but they majored on culture. That was right and good, but they didn’t spend nearly as much time as what we’re separated *to.* I love how you included both.
Barabra, I had the same experience in church, and didn’t come to know Christ as Lord and Savior until 16. Yet, it was all about “not” doing things, being “set apart” from the world. But they forgot the vital piece of this spiritual principle. When we ourselves apart, it can’t be to a blank or void space. It needs to be to God himself or we end up being chained to some other stronghold.