Distinctive
Exodus 11:1-10

What is it that sets apart the child of God from everyone else?  Many would point to moral behavior, saying that Christians will abstain from such things as cursing, substance abuse, extramarital sex, thievery, and so on.  Some will point to acts of worship, that Christians will study the scriptures, pray, and go to church.  Others will look at their position on social issues, whether it be abortion, homosexuality, poverty, or healthcare.  There will be those that see material blessings as setting apart the Christian from everyone else, either seeing financial security as a sign of God's favor or seeing a lack of wealth as an indication of piety.

What we fail to realize is that many of these things can be true without having a relationship with the Lord.  One can be moral without being a Christian.  One can engage in acts of worship without worshiping the one true God.  One can have all the right views on the hot topics of the day and have the wrong view on the one topic that truly matters -- the way to reconciliation with the Father.  Rich or poor, popular or ostracized, male or female, none of it is a distinguishing mark of the child of God.

So what does?  Three characteristics stand out in this passage marking a distinction between the people of God and those not known by Him.  The first is peace.  The people of God have an unusual peace about them.  In this passage, it tells us in verse 7 that even the dogs would not bark, although in the surrounding area the angel of death would be exacting judgment upon the Egyptians.  In the face of judgment, Christians can be at peace, knowing that their Lord is just and righteous.  As the world around us falls apart, we can rest in His promises.

Second is hope.  The people of God have an indescribable hope in them.  Despite being rejected again and again, the Lord tells His people this time to go around asking the Egyptians for silver and gold.  This time, they will be set free without question.  Having seen so many wonders seemingly fail in the past, there was a hope that shone past that and enabled them to obey the word of the Lord.  Regardless of whatever has set us back, we have a hope within us to continue to obey His calling, knowing all that He does is for our benefit and growth.

Third is life.  The people of God have everlasting life within them.  Death was all around.  The firstborn from the most powerful to the lowest, and even among the herds, would be taken that night.  But within the people of God, there would be no death.  The grave has no final victory over us.  Our story does not end with our last earthly breath but continues in the presence of God for all eternity.  We are promised a resurrection seen first in the Lord Jesus Christ who is the firstborn among many, as Paul describes in Romans 8.

The peace of God enables us to withstand whatever may be going on around us.  The hope of God allows us to press on regardless of what has happened before.  And the life of God empowers us to be a distinctive witness to a dying world.  None of this is anything we have worked hard to obtain.  All of this is a gift from God that sets us apart, a difference that God uses to draw more people to Him.

Father, thank you for your gifts.  Thank you for setting us apart to you.  Thank you for giving us an inherent witness for you, that those who see us as we live in your Spirit will see that there is something different, something distinctive about us.  Help us to abide in you so that these marks will become more and more pronounced, and help us to have the words necessary when we are inevitably asked why we are so at peace, why we have so much hope, and why we are so full of life when everything would seem like it should be otherwise.  In Jesus' name, amen.