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Stand and Deliver
by Karin Paparelli
It seems everything today is open to interpretation. Absolute standards
are viewed as old fashioned and intolerant. I suppose this is what we
can expect from the world, but aren't we, the body of Christ, called to
a higher standard than the world around us? "Do not conform any longer
to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind." Romans 12:2. If we drop our standards of thinking and living
to become relevant, soon enough we become indistinguishable from the society
around us. The Word of God says to come apart unto Him. The church needs
to be recognizably different from the world. What is the witness if the
church looks the same as the world? Why would anyone ever want to go there?
The church then appears to be just another club. That is not to say that
we shouldn't try to be relevant, but we should not compromise to do so.
Christ and the cross, that is what makes us different from every other
religion or association. The Gospel message is the power of Christianity,
but the power is also in our living witness. We lose all effectiveness
if we are a mirror reflection of the world. Consider for a moment if being
a Christian were illegal. Would there be enough evidence in your life
to convict you? Honestly (not counting the number of Bibles you own).
Do all of your neighbors know that you are a Christian? Do they see anything
different about you? Does your family see Christ in you? Are you the one
they call when someone is in a bind? In the hospital? In jail? Do they
call you to pray for them? Can they count on you to convey God's love?
Although the Gospel message has been relevant for 2000 years, it has never
been popular. Even Jesus said narrow is the gate that leads to eternal
life. The way of the cross has never been universally embraced, does that
mean we water it down? Do we try to make it more palatable? I would dare
not! Paul boasted that he only preached Christ crucified. We should do
no less. As long as there are sinners to be redeemed, Christ and the message
of the cross will always be relevant to those whom God has chosen.
Yet I am alarmed to see far too many Christians conforming to the image
of the world. Trying so hard to fit in and be accepted. It is in our language,
our dress, our recreation, our lifestyles. We have slowly, yet surely
let the world into our churches. You may be asking, is this the same woman
who boldly proclaims "Take your church to the streets!"? You
may wonder, isn't that letting the world in? In a word, no. Taking the
church to the streets isn't letting the world in, it is letting Christ
out! When the sun goes down the darkness doesn't crowd into your home
and dim your lights, rather your light pours forth from the windows dispelling
the darkness around you. That is the idea. We are to let the light of
Christ penetrate the dark world around us. So how do we become relevant
to the world without compromising Christ? As followers of Jesus we need
to ask 'What did Jesus do?'and then do it! Jesus dined with sinners, befriended
prostitutes and tax collectors yet He did not sin. He remained holy despite
His company of friends. His light broke through the darkness around Him.
Ah, but He was Jesus, you may argue, we are not God. And right you are,
we are not God, but God has called us to be holy even as He is holy. He
has gifted us with the Holy Spirit to equip us to be light. But most importantly,
Jesus Himself lives in us! You see it will always be our choice. It is
not beyond our grasp to live as Jesus lived, but there will be no room
for compromise. That doesn't mean become legalistic and arrogant. The
Pharisees tried that and Jesus called them a brood of vipers. Grace needs
to be high on our list. For it is by grace that we have been saved. .
. it is the gift of God, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8. Freely
we have received grace, freely we should also give grace to others. We
can extend grace and mercy to the sinner and yet not be defiled by sin.
We can share love and compassion and still not lose our morals. Again
it is about influence. The influence of the Church to positively affect
the world, rather than the world negatively influencing our lives.
Still the question remains 'How do we befriend sinners without becoming
negatively influenced?'. You can only do this successfully as you fully
submit to God and His agenda for your life. It takes maturity in Christ
to be able to hang out in the dark and still see. That was the original
plan. To redeem sinners and then send them back for the POWs. Problem
is no one wants to go back once they've been rescued, we just want to
hang out in the place of refuge; in the safety of His shelter. After a
while we don't even share war stories anymore. We forget that the war
is still going on.
The Lord is rousing a special unit. A task force that at this moment is
being equipped to go after those POWs without thought of personal risk.
You know who you are for even as you read this your heart is bursting
with the love of God for the lost. Perhaps you have never acknowledged
it until this moment, but now you know that the Lord has called you, chosen
you, prepared you be part of this task force. Your mission: to befriend
sinners for the sake of Christ and bring home the POWs. We know that the
Lord does not want any to perish, but all to come to repentance(2 Peter3:9).
The time for action is close at hand for indeed the harvest is ripe.
It is Christ's heart that we become conformed to His image, that the world
may indeed be positively influenced by His body. Are we willing to go
through the process of becoming light bearers? You see, all of those bright
lights shining inside the church does no good for the darkness outside.
Instead let us take the light to those dark places, those places outside
the walls of our churches. At first it may seem scary in the dark, but
don't let a little fear stop you, just remember that if God be for us
who shall be against us? He who is in us is far greater than he who is
in the world! Take courage my friends for the time has truly come to stand
up and be counted for Christ.
May you walk in His grace. Thy kingdom come!
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