I woke up at 3:00am this
morning thinking about this. When God
wakes me up, He has a purpose in mind. So here goes.
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is
good.” – Romans 12:9
On the face of it, that should be simple enough.
Living it out is another thing altogether.
It would be great if after we were born again, we were impervious to the
call of our culture, to the natural, the old ways. The truth of the matter is that a civil war
rages within our hearts and will. There
is a constant temptation to compromise, to take sides, to yield to the wisdom
of man and reject the mandates of God.
I know that I am a sinner saved by grace. I know that I am very much like John Newton,
who is quoted as saying, “I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to
be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once
used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.”
It is in our nature – our old nature – to want to conform
to the world, to like what the “crowd” likes. But God said, “Don’t do it!”
“…. present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable
service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and
perfect will of God.” – Romans 12:1-2
The only way we will be successful in this new life of
ours is if we intentionally lay our lives down.
That means to focus on our relationship with God first and with others
second. Loving others is the Second
greatest commandment. Our tendency is to
get things out of order. We love others
first and God second, or third, or …..
The light of the Church – the Body of Christ – in the
United States has become but a flicker. Morality has become a relative idea. What
is morale or acceptable is determined by our government or the loudest
voice. The voice of Satan is grown
louder asking the question “Did God really say?” The Bible – the Word of God – is no longer the
moral compass of our nation. I must add, even when it was the foundation for
the laws of this nation, people struggled with obeying it.
After watching the news last night, I told Martie, my
wife, that I had figured out the problem in our nation. It seems that sins of
the powerful – the wealthy – those in the entertainment industry – in politics are
being exposed at a frenetic pace. More
and more every day. (Yes I know that is an incomplete sentence!) I told her, “I
have figured it out! All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!” She told me that someone already said that! The
thing is that what people don’t seem to understand is that the reason these
things are happening is the same reason that God sent Jesus.
As for the Church – those who are called by the name of
Jesus – whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, we are silent –
watching – perhaps even conforming to the “new truth” being defined by our culture. If you recall the children’s story about the Emperor’s
New Clothes, just because the emperor said that he had clothes on did not make
it so. And just because our culture says
something is right when the Bible clearly says it is not, does not make it
right. It is still sin -no matter what
you call it.
I am including this scripture because I want you to
think about it in the context of our culture and your life. Don’t compromise. Let your light shine
through your life. The darker the night, the brighter the light. I was just thinking about when I used to fly
helicopters in the desert at night. With
no light from the sky or ground, it was very dark. But then, someone on the ground would light a
chem-stick, just a little thing, and I could see it from far off. Be
that light!
“For the wrath
of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of
men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of
God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation
of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the
things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are
without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as
God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish
hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the
glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and
birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them
up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among
themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and
served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For
this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged
the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the
natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men
committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their
error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are
not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit,
evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent,
proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning,
untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous
judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death,
not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” – Romans
1:18-32
This was about people when Paul lived in the first
century – but it could have been written about the people living in our country
today. Like King Solomon said “There is
nothing new under the sun.” The hearts of men and women are the same from
century to century, generation to generation.
If we ever needed the Lord before, we sure do need Him now. And we need Him
every day and every hour.
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