As believers, we are to be different, set apart, a light in the world we live in. We are to represent the light, not the darkness.
Paul tells us this in Romans:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.” — Romans 12:2
Refusing to stand up for what is right is giving in to what is wrong.
I know of some church leaders who avoid calling sin a sin for fear of offending nonbelievers. They use the pulpit as a popularity platform instead of taking the opportunity to speak truth and show people the way to a true and righteous life. They’ve bought into the tolerance movement. This is the saddest and most unloving thing a pastor could ever do.
As a nonbeliever, I actually came to faith because a pastor spoke God’s Word without watering it down. He wasn’t afraid to offend anyone or try to be politically correct. I remember the experience well.
One Wednesday night during Bible study, the pastor read a passage of Scripture revealing those who would not inherit the Kingdom of God.
“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” — Galatians 5:19-21
I was an individual in that list and I thought to myself, “ How arrogant of this pastor to tell me I was not going to go to heaven because I was living a life that God described as ungodly.”
Yet he was simply teaching God’s word and allowing it to do the work God intended.
By the way, I was deeply offended and convicted, and I didn’t like it one bit.
Ironically, I kept coming back to hear more Bible teachings week after week until I realized how much God loved me and that I was without Him in my life.
I am so grateful that this pastor didn’t give in to his feelings or fear of man but simply proclaimed God’s truth to the congregation — something God had called him to do. That was in the late ’80s; a lot has changed since then.
The challenges today are not necessarily because it’s hard to avoid conforming to this world. That will always be challenging as Romans 12:2 tells us.
The challenge is to keep our minds filled with God’s Word, thereby living it out in obedience, allowing ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit, not our flesh.
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” — Ephesians 5:18
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” — Colossians 3:16
Unfortunately, we’re seeing so many so-called believers conforming to the cultural mindset, not just being tolerant but actually following these worldly ideas. They are “playing church.”
By taking God’s Word very casually, they are allowing their hearts and minds to be swayed by the principles and powers of this world, and neglecting the mandate to be transformed and changed by the power of God and His Spirit.
They are not set apart, and they do not behave any differently than a nonbeliever.
A very common thing today is to see unmarried Christian couples living together, partying and compromising. Why are they choosing to do this and even justifying it? Do they not feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit?
How about Christians who celebrate other Christians living a gay lifestyle by saying, “God doesn’t condemn this, but rather, He condones it. After all, God loves them too.”
Like their gay Christian friends, they are choosing to ignore the Holy Spirit, as He would not condone this behavior. Both of these lifestyles are not approved by God; they are not good, acceptable or the perfect will of God. No matter how many people want to believe “it’s good” or “it’s right,” it simply will never be!
Every person on this planet will stand before God Almighty and give an account of how they lived on this earth. Believers in heaven will be judged by their works.
“If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved — even though only as one escaping through the flames.” — 1 Corinthians 3:12
Unbelievers will stand before the judgment of God.
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.” — Revelations 20:11
What sobers my mind is the judgment of nonbelievers; those who reject Christ have only one destination — the lake of fire.
“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars — they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” — Revelation 21:8
If Christians really believed this, they would choose to live out God’s Word. Instead, they fail to obey it or to sincerely look at the world and see how much darkness there is around them.
They waste an opportunity to be a light because they would rather live for themselves and their pleasure instead of living for God.
Taking God’s Word seriously and obeying it will result in a life change that reflects God’s will — a will that is good and acceptable to God. This is where I believe the transformation that results in genuine change takes place.
When a person receives Jesus as their Savior and becomes what Jesus describes as “Born Again,” the Holy Spirit comes into that person and lives within them. Their mind starts being transformed, turning God’s thoughts into their thoughts and forcing carnality to take a back seat.
This is a supernatural event.
