Leviticus 20:7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD
I want to talk about something that should be the natural way of life for every Christian, but is rarely seen today, and that is how to live godly lives in this ungodly world.
Let me make this clear, I love the church. I have been a Christian for 15 years and have missed 3 Sundays. When our family go away on holiday the first thing we do is look up the churches in the phone book to find one to go to. So this is not a dig at the church by looking at a current problem .Its to try and facilitate discussion around potential solutions.
I have been wrestling with this issue over the last few weeks, in the light of the recent moral and spiritual misadventures of two prominent Christian leaders.
What have we learnt from this tragedy? What are we doing in our lives, and the lives we lead to avoid this happening?
I grieve for the body of Christ when this happens .No one wins, people are hurt, angry, disappointed, and the name of Jesus is treaded in mud. Yes people can be and are restored, healed, forgiven and do go on in life.
For the record I have prayed, am praying and will continue to pray for all involved.
But that’s not the biggest reason I am grieving, the biggest reason I am grieving is because when ever something like this happens why is the church so quick to go into damage control rather than preventative control. Why do we take the position of the ambulance at the bottom of the hill rather than be the gate at the top.
I have heard messages on how to handle failure; How Jesus restores broken and fallen people. Great theology .Grace is God .Grace is the Bible. But we take Grace to the extreme when we try so hard to justify sin, and justify why we behave in a certain way.
Wouldn’t it make sense to not only show us how to mop up the mess but also how to avoid the disaster
I want to hear how to overcome sin, not just how to respond when we are overcome by sin
The Bible is not only a repair book for those that have fallen it’s a prepare book for those that want to live victorious
God says we can be HOLY .We CAN be victorious over the flesh.
ARE we pursuing this? Do WE believe this?
In many of our churches today, we're not taught anything at all about the separated life unto godliness and holiness. In fact, if someone preaches holiness, they're labelled a "legalist."
What we now find as a result, is many people who name the name of Christ, just go on living in their sin proclaiming that they really know Him, and that God understands why they do the things they do, and there'll be no price to pay for their sin.
One writer said "Many so-called Christians are so far from holy living, that they virtually have contests to see who can come closest to the pit of sin without falling in." It's sad that many times in this politically correct age, we give them a politically correct gospel filled with pop-psychology, and think we're doing the will of God, when in reality we're taking them by the hand and walking with them down the road that leads to hell.
God is looking for a people who are not interested in pleasing anyone but Him. We as Christians are responsible for this generation, to show them the truth not only in what we say, but more importantly, by how we live.
I will leave you with a quote from D M Moody
A holy life will make the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns, they just shine.
4 comments:
Gidday Jeremy,
Interesting Post.
I have been pondering for a couple of months a message on "Whats in a Logo". As Christians we wear the LOgo of Christ and therefore when people come to us they should be getting a fair representation of Christ. Like Mc Donalds who's logo is everywhere, when you go there you get Mcdonalds, not KFC not BK but you get MC donalds. The same every time.
So our problem is that general Christianity at its current state is not representing Christ. We are a mcd's gving out pizza.
As Christians we have one responsibility and that is to Christ. And in serving him we in turn serve and love his people. So the live to please only God, will see us in relation with people. We cannot forget who we are here for...not for God in essence, but for his people.
Read this Gem this morn from a very old book:
"Love." What is it in God's eyes?
It is self-denial, threefold. 1st For Christ's sake. 2nd For Christians' sakes, of all sects and of no sect. 3rd For the sake of the lost. And what is self-denial? It is a being dead to self and all self-interest, for the sake of others. That is Love. Christ first. Christ's Next. The Perishing afterward. Self nowhere, or, if anywhere, last of all.
Thats huge aye!
If this is really our charge. 1 Timothy 1:5 " Now the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere heart." Then we must love people, not what they do but try, try and try again to bring them to a knowledge of the True Christ and there true self so that they too can help others to learn this, exponentially changing our world for Christ.
I believe God's has out people like yourself Jeremy here for a purpose and time as this. To Stand up and to do what needs to be done to champion the cause of Christ. Not only that but to teach as many people as we can to seek the real Christ and live his life through there skin, using there hands as his, there feet as his.
Bless You man,and do not grow weary in doing good...
kenrick
oh yeah and if anyone ever has issues with preaching on holyness tell them to read there bible.
Eph 1:3.. we were created for holiness.
I don't have much to add, but just wanted to let you know that I had read your post, and thought it was good stuff. I definately think that in general, but especially in light of recent events, as christians, we need to be looking at our lives and making sure we are putting things in place to ensure we are strong, and walking Godly and Holy paths - be that through real, true accountability, or increasing our disciplines with our devotions or whatever, we have to prepare, as you say, to live victorious.
Bob and Kenrick, Thanks for your comments all good stuff guys ,Great discussion
Jeremy
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