Does anyone even try to hold themselves to a higher standard anymore? I look around at all the Christians, myself included, and you can't really tell the difference in them and the world. I know there are some, and to those few, I say Praise God. But overall, I don't see where we are any different than the world.
How are we supposed to win over the unsaved, if we are just like them? I hear preachers say, we are exactly the same as them, we are just saved. That is a lie straight out of h3ll. We are called out of the world into holiness.
God will not do this for us, it is our responsibility. God commanded us, Be ye Holy, for I am Holy. If He was going to do it, He would have no reason to even talk about it.
Is it any wonder that we all have the reputation of being hypocrites? What else are people to think? We say one thing and do another, what would you call it? Think about the way you act at church, is this the way you act all week? If not, that makes you a hypocrite. What the world says of us is true, now...what are we going o do about it?
Food for thought,
Leon
P.S. I know this does not apply to everyone, but it does to most of us. Even if only partially.
This is what I personaly believe about this, and I'm talking about myself first then everyone else in my post.
These are all great questions to ask ourselves. I too look around at all the chirstians, myself first. I agree that we can't see any difference in alot of christians and the world. The christians that are actually setting themselves apart from this world are becoming less every day. To me cristians are becoming weak and are more afraid of what the world thinks about them, instead of what God thinks about them. We have to be afraid of what God thinks about us, and not what the world thinks.
To answer what you said about how are we going to win over the unsaved if we are exactly the same. The fact we aren't reaching the unsaved is heart breaking. We christians should be trying to reach every one we meet and know. We don't seem to realize that all of our unsaved friends we have in our life need God, and we don't understand that if we don't try to lead them to God. Their blood is on our hands because we are to afraid to show this world that we are God's servants. I have my struggles with what I just said, but I am trying to correct my faults, and be more Christ like.
The preachers that say we are no different then them, because we are just saved. That is a lie. God commaded us to be Christ like. God commanded us, Be ye Holy, For I am Holy. We need to look at ourselves in the mirror and see if we are obeying God, and not our wordly lusts, and desires. Its hard to find christians that are actually convicted about the choices they make about following wordly standards. We christians should be chasing after God with all are heart, and try to become more Christ like every day. For we are always learning how to prove to God that we are serving Him. We are tempted by so much in this world that we become afraid of what others will say about us behind our backs. We should be more worried about being a hypocrite then what the world thinks of us. We should be doing whats right in the eyes of God no matter what the world thinks, and no matter how hard the decision is.
You show great wisdom and humility. I, also, struggle with some parts of this walk, and it is discouraging to witness others that want to be heirs to the promise, but are not willing to hold up their end of the bargain. The Bible says, Be not deceived, God is not mocked, whatsoever thou soweth, thou shalt also reap.
I fight pride every day, among other things, but I don't give in to it. We may have the same desires as everyone else, but a True Christian knows that Jesus died so that sin no longer has control over us. Jesus destroyed the law of sin, and death. What makes us different from the world is we have Christ to hold our hand and help us make it through those tough times. He died that I might live.
Gal. 2:20 explains the whole concept much better than I ever could.
I do hold myself to a higher standard, and though I fail miserably at times, I do not use it as an excuse to continue to sin. I have heard a lot of Christians say "we live in a fallen world' as an answer to why so many Christians still live in habitual and persistent sin.As if we just can't help it. No, God is not mocked and I know many Christians who are reaping what they have sown right now and are bewildered as to the cause of the chaos in their lives.
The bottom line in my humble opinion is that people do what is easy in this life. The things of the world are so appealing to some, and it is easier to give in than to fight the battle to stay separate. Many are to lazy to get up everyday and put on the whole armor of God and therefore those fiery darts penetrate their lives and poison it.
I had a few really good Christian friends before I was saved and it's sad to say that they turned me off from the faith by their behavior. They looked just like me. The most meaningful compliments that I have received in my life, are when the unsaved say " there is something different about you".
Thanks for this post Leon, we all need to remember that the world is always watching.
I almost didn't post this because it does make people angry when they hear things like this, but sometimes we need to hear the truth. I am as guilty of having sinful desires as anyone else, but I realize the great gift Christ gave us.
By making it a sin to think about those things, He allowed us to stop it while still in our thoughts, thereby keeping us from falling into transgression. We still have to repent for the thoughts, but we don't have to make amends to a brother or sister that we have wronged.
This makes it so much easier to let others see only our love for each other. It is not that we don't ever have an evil thought, just that we are so aware of it that it always, or almost always, stops there. As we get used to stopping those thoughts before they become actions, the thoughts actually quit coming so often.
Do not hesitate to post topics such as this. The truth does make some angry. The truth is often ugly and painful, but it needs to be said because people are perishing everyday. We need to consider our ways.
James 4:7-10
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
It make me realize that i should win the battle and more be Christ like, not with my own strenght,but with His help.
I agree with you too, sister Lidya. As Christians, we are like an open book and also light, we should have make the difference with the unsaved. Witness His mercy and save the lost at any cost.
I feel that this has been an age old battle. The early church faced much of the same with the worshippers of Diana. In their endeavors to make things socially acceptable or politically correct, they fell into a state of luke warmness. It is so easy to do. I have encountered young people who feel they can do whatever they want and continually ask forgiveness over and over without changed behavior. ( I might add that alot of older people fall into this category, also) What many fail to realize is that even though God forgives us our sins He also states "Go and sin no more!" I'm like everyone else. I fight this flesh daily and have to ask forgiveness daily. God did command to "come out from among them and be ye separate!" In this day and age Christians find this harder and harder to do. I feel this is just the beginning of the struggle and we will truly have to make choices. It's easy to say we are a Christian because we believe in the principles of Christ but truly another to live by them. I wouldn't stand in judgment on anyone. While a finger is pointed at you three more are pointed back at me and those are the ones that I am answerable for and sometimes I fail miserably! Touchy topic but one that needs to be addressed. Jesus certainly didn't shy away from truth and neither should we but He did do it in love....Right! (So did you!)
I hold myself to a high standard now but do fail at times. I have a hard time meeting my high standards when a boss just tries to push my buttons. It is exasperating sometimes what a frustrated power driven young boss can tempt me to do like tell him what he's doing wrong. What good would that do but get me fired?
In one of my social groups I have a hard time with the constant harping about what some people have done years ago as this just irritates people and makes them want to leave the group as a social group should be fun without all the talking about people's shortcomings and whining about how much time I've spent on volunteering and so on.
Leon, great post! I've given some thought to this question and have a few thoughts.
Recently, a lot of Christians have realized that being a true Christian means more than just being a pew warmer on Sundays. This is a great first step. However, I think where a lot of us fail is creating the relationship with God.
We get so caught up in impressing others, both non-believers and Christians, in our knowledge or ability to quote the Bible that we lose focus of what is really important.
Creating that relationship with God. An integral part of that relationship is denying our individual sinful desires. We each struggle with one or more sins on a daily basis. For some it may be lust others it may be drugs etc.
How hard of an effort are we making to prevent this? Do we pray to God at night about it? Do we make an honest attempt to stop? To me the hardest sins to stop are the ones that I know only God knows about.
Only God can see into my mind, heart and soul and know how truly committed I am to being a true follower and disciple. Only he knows when I say things because they come from the heart or if I want others to be impressed with me.
One way that I have found helps is having an accountability partner. To many this will not be a new concept, but for those readers who do not know what it is here is a quick rundown:Find someone your really trust and let them in on your struggles. Together you can keep each other accountable and journey towards a relationship with God together.
Satan lurks in the shadows and preys on the weak. That is why as humans we are embarressed by our sin and attempt to keep it hidden. Bring it out in the open and let God's light shine upon it so that you may eventually be ridden of it. Unified with other Christians we make ourselves strong and can fight temptation.
I must say I do not agree with the word choice. We are not living by a higher standard, but striving towards a life pleasing to God and filled with Christ's love. I know plenty of non-believers who hold themselves to a very high moral standard; higher than some of my "Christian" friends.
You know.....in December my Grandmother died. My Grandmother knew Jesus and loved God very much. I had always known this. She lived the Christian life. I saw it in everything she did.
Yes this world is full of evil and sin, but there are godly people out there. The trick is to not just go around saying you are a Christian...but live it, be it. :prayingf:
