The Unwonted

You might be asking yourself what the word unwonted means. Perhaps you’re thinking it’s a misspelling of the word unwanted, and in that case, you’re probably wondering what a website titled unwonted christian is all about. Rest assured, it’s spelled correctly, and the word defines everything that we as Christians are called to be.

Unwonted is defined as ‘being out of the ordinary: rare, unusual.’ A further definition of the word would be ‘unaccustomed‘ or ‘unused‘. It’s not a word that gets much use anymore, so it’s fairly safe to say that the word itself is unwonted. But again, what does this have to do with being a Christian? I’m glad you asked.

John 17:14 says:

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

Jesus said he wasn’t of this world because he knew something the world didn’t yet know. Jesus didn’t come into this world just to be a passing part of its history. Jesus came because he was sent to be set apart from it. He was about his Father’s business, and believe me when I say, his Father’s business is not of this world. His death on the Cross and the Resurrection are what separated him from this world just as much as it does us. Christ is our invitation to accept God’s place in Heaven that he has prepared for us.

John 14:2-4 says:

In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.”

And Matthew 6:19-21 tells us:

Do not store up treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth not rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

These scriptures strongly pinpoint exactly where our dwelling place is located as Christians, yet it is a place that so many of us fail to see ourselves in, so we stay settled where we’re at and never move.

Colossians 1:13-14 says:

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The world we live in is a very dark place. We have settled ourselves into our homes and in our bodies and too often have accepted that as our reality. We have been pulled out of the darkness of this world and out of the bondage of sin. As born again Christians, we are chosen to be set apart and be a witness to the world from which we were first born into.

John 15:16 says:

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit–fruit that will last–and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

Our fruit is our witness to this world. It is how we are seen and known.

Matthew 7:20:

Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

We have opportunities everyday where we can speak to someone in kind, or go out of our way to help someone in need, or treat a situation with compassion rather than apathy or indifference. What can we do as Christians to ensure we satisfy these opportunities in a way that glorifies God? The bible gives us a clear answer on that.

Galatians 5:22-23:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Sin runs rampant everyday and we’ve gotten so used to it that we don’t think twice when we see it because it’s not out of the ordinary. Ordinary is what is commonplace or standard. Well, sin fits that definition right on the mark. That’s where the title of this site comes from, Unwonted Christian. In other words, we are called to be out of the ordinary. It’s getting to the point where our witness is becoming unaccustomed to the world. We have to stand out and let our fruit be seen, and we’re never going to do that if we continue to just go with the flow. One of the greatest lies that Satan attacks us with is that “it’s no big deal.” I’m here to tell you, and most importantly, Christ came to tell all of us that it is a big deal.

Sin is such a destructive force against the very nature of Jesus, but we have been given authority over it. Authority doesn’t always mean coming in with a lot of pomp and circumstance either. Authority over sin can be the simple act of forgiveness when someone sins against us instead of losing your temper, or admitting when we have wronged and asking for forgiveness instead of hiding behind our actions. The act of serving others with grace and mercy can sometimes be the best fruit to bear.

We’re all sheep that need a Shepard. Some of us have wandered away while others are being shepherded by the world. It’s all too easy to conform to the ordinary and do what comes easy. Jesus never said being a Christian would be easy. Letting yourself be seen as someone who is willfully separating themselves from an ordinary world opens the door to a lot of criticism and judgement, but that’s our place in Christ. That’s where we live. Christ isn’t ordinary, he’s unusual and rare. We’re not ordinary because Christ lives within us. We’re unwonted Christians.