Living as redeemed, obedient children of God is what this world and its cultures desperately need to see! Be a light in the dark places.
“I pray that your love will keep on growing and you will fully know
and understandhow to make the right choices. Then you will still be
pure and innocent when Christ returns. And until that day,Jesus
Christ will keep you busy doing good deeds that bring glory and
praise to God.” Romans 1:9-11 CEV
For insecure Christians who want desperately to be attractive to everyone around them… these three verses are tough to swallow!
How many of these qualities above are abundantly visible in today’s culture? “Spiritual growth? Knowing how to make right decisions? Staying pure and innocent? Busy doing good deeds that bring God glory?” I thought so. If we do those things, in our day and age, we would be… well, different.
And God thinks that’s a great idea. And here’s what He thinks is a deadly idea: “Don’t become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That’s not partnership; that’s war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God’s holy Temple?” II Corinthians 6:17 MSG
There should be more than shoulder room between pre-believers and Christians. A few questions will get this point across: Do we watch the same shows on TV? Do we watch the same movies as those who see no danger is what comes into their eyes? Do we laugh at the same jokes? Do we worry ourselves sick about health, the stock market and other irritants in life?
What if we didn’t leave our homes every Sunday with Bibles under our arms? Would anyone guess that we any different than they? What should they be able to judge our difference by?
If today’s Christians are going to have any impact whatsoever on this world, if we want a testimony that doesn’t produce either a yawn or a sneer… then there must be a distinction between our behavior and our culture’s.
This is God’s call to us.
Keep being different!
Previous ‘keeps’: 1. God’s Keeping 2. Keep Obeying 3. Keep Your Mouth Shut and Your Eyes Open 4. Keep Being Useful 5. Keep Being Different
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