When I was a teenager, I was very quiet about my beliefs at school. For most of my youth, I viewed the church as my parent’s church. Don’t get me wrong, I understood the messages given in services. I understood doctrine. I saw the value of living God’s way of life – especially as I saw friends chose the opposite way and how hard their lives became.

The bottom line was, I didn’t like to be different than my peers in my neighborhood and at school. I wanted to enjoy activities on Friday nights and Saturdays. I didn’t want to think about what I ate from a religious perspective. I didn’t want to have to take days off from school and later work for Holy Days that fell on a weekday. I didn’t want to have to explain any of my religious beliefs.

I came to a point in my life when I had to ask myself a simple but fundamental question, “Will I follow and obey God’s instruction?”

The fundamental reason why I was embarrassed as a youth to explain what I believed religiously was that it made me different – not different like everyone else, but different from everyone else I knew outside of church.

What is it that makes those whom God calls into His church so different?

Have you ever thought about that question? What is it that makes the people of God different from anyone else – especially those claiming to be Christians?

Here is my short list:

1 - Keeping the Sabbath

The Sabbath is not a convenient observance by the standards of the world. Work schedules, school activities and so many other events are scheduled for Saturday. But God’s Sabbath is important and it is a sign. 

- What is God’s Sabbath a sign of? (Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:20)

- What rest does it point us to? (Hebrews 4:9).

When we start observing God’s seventh day Sabbath (on Saturday, not Sunday), we fundamentally change our relationship with Him. It is only through the Sabbath that we have the possibility of understanding the rest of God’s plan of salvation. By keeping the Sabbath, we open the door to understand other truths of God.

2 - Observing the Holy Days

Why is this point important? It’s because keeping the Holy Days brings understanding of the plan of Salvation.

There are many who keep the Sabbath day without understanding the Holy Days – but keeping the Holy Days brings an understanding of God’s plan of Salvation for all of mankind.

What is that plan of Salvation? Here are two articles that will help you understand it better:

“Questions of Life & God’s Holy Days Part 1” and “Part 2.”

Outside of the Church of God, no one fully teaches this Biblical truth revealed by God’s Holy Days. You have access to that truth now. Most of the world believes either that there is nothing after death – or they believe in some variation of heaven and hell. Both are wrong, and worse they are empty of the transcendent meaning that God gives us as humans as illustrated by His annual festivals.

3 - We worship God through word and deed, not merely emotion.

Can you have faith without works; works being defined as the actions and application of God’s law? James 2:14, James 2:17

Most of traditional Christianity teaches that God’s grace is all that is needed, that is that God’s goodness, mercy and patience takes care of all sin and that we don’t need to do anything. Add to this a component of music that many believe replaces instruction in God’s Word and you have the recipe for very shallow theology that borders on paganism.

- Is it possible to worship God in form only? (2 Timothy 3:5)

Emotionalism in worship denies the power of God’s spirit working in us – because an emotional approach worships the self before God!

Music is powerful and can tap into many different emotions, but it must be tempered by the Word of God (see the next point).

4 - Members strive to have the same Biblical understanding as the ministry.

Many churches have a service that lasts perhaps 45 minutes – if that. There is singing and a main message that is about ten to fifteen minutes long. Many parishioners don’t bring a Bible to church or even take notes. Most churches don’t have Bible studies, and for major denominations like Catholicism and Lutheranism, understanding Scripture is reserved for priests – the Bible is considered too hard to understand or interpret for the common member.

- Did the Bereans in Acts 17:10-12 believe in that approach?

- What does studying God’s Word bring you to? (2 Timothy 2:15)

- Having you proven what God says in His Word? (Malachi 3:10)

You are encouraged to search the Scriptures, to prove what is being taught, to be equipped to discern good from evil.

5 - Our history

The history of God’s church from 31 A.D. to the present time is a history of faithful men and women staying true to the teaching of Scripture.

If you study that history, you can see doctrines taught with which we are very familiar. And more importantly, you can see that what modern Christianity teaches and promotes as worshipping God has never been a part of the true church.

Do you know the core doctrines of Scripture? If not, read or request a free copy of The Fundamental Beliefs of the United Church of God. By studying God’s Word you become equipped to know the Truth and to be able to defend and teach that Truth to others (Titus 1:9).

You are different. Remember why.