Do you stand out? Part 3

 

If the world can't tell whether or not you are a Christian, then how do you stand out?  When you claim to be a Christian, trust me, people are always watching and waiting for you to act in an ungodly manner so they can call you a hypocrite. Instead of being a bad example, your lifestyle should point to God so strongly others want to get to know Jesus. 
  

God does not want us to fit in with the world.  Yes, we are to be kind-hearted to all, but there needs to be a limit with how close we become to the world.

Let's explore a little why God does not want us to be unequally yoked.

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness...  for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate," saith the Lord, "and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18- 7:1   

 

It is not wrong to be friends with unbelievers, but you should not be overly involved in their lives lest they drag you down (Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; 1 Corinthians 15:33-34). You cannot blame anyone if you backslide, you are responsible for your own actions, but why tempt yourself to give in to doing things you know are wrong and that go against the will of God?  It is better to keep relationships shallow with those who practice things that we know go against the principles of Jesus Christ.  In other words, we should not be so closely knit with the world we become "unequally yoked."  

Too often Christians who are on fire for the Lord allow the cold influences of the world to cause them to temper their desire for the holy things of God.  Whether it is out of wanting to fit in with your buddies who make fun of you because you refuse to go to the bars with them, or your coworkers who laugh at you because you will not dress provocatively, or your family members who make sarcastic jabs at you because you have given up movies, television, and secular music.  Whatever the reason, you have given in to peer pressure and compromised your holiness beliefs just to be liked by the world. 

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1-2

As Christians, our goal should not be to please the world, but the please the Lord.  Notice in Romans 12 it says that not conforming to the world is "good and acceptable and perfect."  Not that anyone can be perfect, but God honors our efforts.  Considering the amazing gift of salvation Jesus graciously died to give us, striving for holiness truly is our "reasonable service."  

Galatians 1:10 puts it this way, "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."

I know it is not easy sticking to your values when you feel rejected by those who you care about the most.  However, and I do not say this to be cruel, but to be bluntly honest, your TRUE friends will NOT make fun of you for your morals, and if they do, they are the wrong friends.

Don't forget, Jesus was despised and rejected by his family and friends and ridiculed by the very people He came to die for.  And He is still mocked today.  We can endure the criticisms and remain steadfast in our beliefs when we remember our Lord and Savior went through the same rejections, only on a much, much larger scale.

The goal of every blog and video I make is always to encourage you in your walk with the Lord.  The biggest frustration some of you face is trying to be Godly in an ungodly world. You get tired of being the odd one out in groups and not getting invited to join others because they think you are too judgmental.  But if you are truly desiring to please your Creator, the best way to feel strengthened is to consider what the Bible says. Think of it this way: would you rather be uninvited to parties, family gatherings, etc. because of your moral beliefs, or uninvited into heaven because you compromised and gave into ungodly behavior just to be liked?

I have seen too often people who claim to be Christians praise the Lord on Sunday, curse with their friends on Monday, go the bar on Friday night, and to a movie full of violence, sex, and/or the occult on Saturday.  Then when back in church on Sunday, guilt sets in and they repent and feel on fire again.  However, as soon as they try to speak about the Lord to family members or friends, they are made fun of, and their fire gets doused with the coldness of the people they care about the most. Make no mistake, God will spit you out of His mouth if you cannot make up your mind whether you want to please Him or the world! 

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Revelation 3:13, 15-16

Your buddies did not die for you so you can have eternal life (For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John  3:16)!  Your family members will not be the ones judging you after you die (And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Revelation 20:12)!

Now is the time to choose Jesus over the world and repent for all the times you have allowed the world to douse the fire you had for the Lord and quench the flames you had for pursuing righteousness. 

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15  

Now is also the time to be bold for the Lord and be the influencer for His name, not the other way around! Jesus ate with the sinners, but He was not the one changed, the sinners were!

Now I want to also address the issue of being unequally yoked in marriage. What do you do if the unbeliever you are unequally yoked with is your spouse? If you are currently married to an unbeliever, it is clear that the Lord does not expect you to get a divorce, but just the opposite ("For the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce, for it covers one's garment with violence," Says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 2:16).

Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife. But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed.  1 Corinthians 7:10-16 & 27

Also consider:

Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.  1 Peter 3:1-2 (NIV - all other verses listed are KJV)

Live your life by a good example, and you very well may lead your mate to Christ.  Do not be a nag when it comes to differing beliefs because that will just drive a deeper wedge between you.  Stand firm in your faith and do not compromise in your love for the Lord.   Most importantly, do not give up praying for him/her.  There have been many instances where the believer’s kindness and patience paid off, and their loved one eventually became a Christian as well.  Unless your partner is doing something immoral, illegal, or causing you and/or your children harm, stick to your wedding vows and follow the principles of the Bible to be type of spouse God wishes you to be.    

If you are unequally yoked with your mate, do not give up praying for him/her!  Continue to be a witness without being a self-righteous or judgmental nuisance that only pushes your loved one farther away from the things of God.  Also, if you have not done so in a while, consider offering to pray for your mate’s specific prayer requests (silently or out loud, it is up to you) to show your love and compassion for his/her needs.  If it would not cause dissention, consider hosting or leading a Bible study group at your home for a few weeks or months (even if it is for youth or a gender-specific group) as your mate may be more likely to attend (or at least overhear) what it being taught in the safety and privacy of his/her own home.