People Differences

People come in different sizes, colors, shapes and quantities. Where do you "fit in" or "fail to fit in" whichever the case may be? "Normal people" are those who pretty well fit in, and that's most of the people. Of course they're not homogeneous in color for "normal" people come in all colors. However, we'll use purple to identify this non-homogeneous group.

Since you're thinking "What is normal?" perhaps we'd better look at that!

"Conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural." (Meriam-Webster Dictionary).

Conforming is having the same characteristics as the standard. However, the standard is dynamic. What was "abnormal" at one time, when many digress, becomes the "new normal". The standards of society change!  Why is that so?

Luke 17:26 "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man."

Here is the same standard for two different times with an obvious variation in the standards in between the two times. The "days of Noah" was the time before the earth was destroyed and the "days of the Son of Man" will be the time preceding the rapture; when Christians living and dead will meet Jesus in the sky!

In between those times God was gracious. Few followed his standards (The Ten Commandments), but he allowed the earth to multiply regardless.  Society created new standards of behavior; a new normal, but God's standards are always the same:

Hebrews 13:8 (ESV) "Jesus Christ(the Word)  is the same yesterday and today and forever."

Whatever was abnormal before Noah is abnormal now and will be abnormal at the time of the coming of Jesus! Sins are always the same throughout time. It is never right for one generation and wrong for another!

The discerning person may say "But God allowed polygamy in patriarchal times, and now he doesn't!" That's true. However, it's not the standard that changed, but God's grace is variable. He's more generous with people when they worship him than when they do not. He does what he has to do to spread his word. If God had destroyed the Israelites for polygamy, no one would be left today to worship him!

Acts 17:30  (ESV) "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent..."

This passage doesn't mean that they failed to know that they were sinning, but failed to see that faith required people to obey. In other words, people took advantage of God's grace! People are again doing that more than ever!

By definition "normal" are those people who have the dominant numbers in society. It doesn't mean that they are the most "right" nor the most "wise" nor the most "beautiful" or the most "anything". It merely means that they are a member of the largest part of the herd. In fact there is in psychology what is called the "herd mentality".

"Herd mentality describes how people are influenced by their peers to adopt certain behaviors, follow trends, and/or purchase items." (Wikipedia).

People do things that trendsetters do. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do!" "What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas". Those are two anonymous sayings about herd mentality. The "herd" are the "normal" part of the people, but again normal doesn't mean "right"!

In fact "normal" means "wrong"!  "Why so?" one of you normal people asks!  Because people have an inborn nature to do wrong!

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God..."

In essence, this says that all men have failed to meet God's rigid unchanging standards. In fact even one occasion of "missing the mark" means not making it to heaven "glory of God" (without repentance).

We are all born "normal"! Were all born in sin. Things change though. Look at Figure #1. There is help! Some get worse and are "queer" (different from the norm).

Figure #1

Romans 1:28 "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient..."

The "inconvenient things"are behavioral sins. Sins just as in the days of Noah!

How were things in the "days of Noah"?

Genesis 6:5 "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
Genesis 6:11" The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth."

In essence everybody (the normal people) had corrupted the standard. Society's standard before the flood was evil. At the coming of Jesus it will be the same and these corruptions are elaborated in the following:

 2 Timothy 3:1 "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good..."

Welcome to "Barry's World"! (Obama's). This is the "new standard" for today. Men do "what's right in their own eyes" just as they did at all times when destruction came!  These behaviors are "normal" in society. Normal people do these things. Even if you don't perform them, normal people allow themselves to be entertained by them and influenced by this new norm. Most people are on the center of the fulcrum on this teeter-totter. Guess what? Some of these "normal people" who live these new standards are Christians!On the other end of "normal" even some "queer folk" are part of them because that's the new normal.

Before we get to peculiar people, let's look at "queer folk". By God's standards those are the people who are so far gone that there just may be no return! I'm not referring merely to homosexuality, but the other "abominations" as well. Those are the things most "disgusting" to the Lord. "Abominations" throughout the Old Testament (OT) are unclean things associated with pagans. They are mostly "sins of pleasure" and it's filthiness because many pagan god rituals had group fornication, homosexuality, and deviant sexual practices. Queer folk (in Figure #1) are the worst of the worst whose very eternity offers no hope"

Romans 1:28 "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful..."

"Wow!" You say. "Reprobate things are just like the things in the days of Noah and in the time of the coming of the Lord!" Sure is! The Old Standard for "the flesh" will be the "New Standard". It's when most people become "reprobate" and the "Queer Folk" (those with faults listed above) becomes the norm!

On the right side of the fulcrum. way to the right, and very few, are "peculiar" people! Who are those?

1 Peter 2:9 "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

These are the people who meet God's unchanging standard.  It's those who are obedient to and love God! I's the righteous people who are not part of the norm, but includes those who repent when they do what the world does. Unlike the normal nation, they are "an holy nation". It's a people within a people.  What is peculiar about them? They meet the "standard of God". They merely "love". The same old standard God always had!

Why do I show so few on the fulcrum board? Because there will be few!

Matthew 7:13 "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

In effect I paraphrase this: "There are few "peculiar people" who will be rewarded with eternal life.  The normal expectation is that most people will die an eternal death." Within this passage lies "hope" for a few and terror for most! It's a choice. Any person can become "peculiar" and be lifted high!

James 4:10 "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."

Or on the other hand, choose unwisely and sink:

Jeremiah 51:64 And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her:"