So, I'm sure the world has joined together to throw you a big, happy party to celebrate. I'm sure everyone in your family and everybody on your block have just tripped over themselves to give you encouragement and presents and best wishes.
What?!? No marching bands? No ticker tape parades?
Who woulda thunk it?
So, you're a Christian. Nobody on earth is going to give you an award for this (except maybe another Christian...and I wouldn't hold my breath on that half the time, either!) In fact, the world is generally going to hate you. Well, not so much you, but the One that you belong to...Jesus Christ.
"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you."
John 15:18
John 15:18
Now, if you think you're hated now, just hang on to your hat!
You see, we Christians are called to be separate from the world. We are expected to behave differently. To march to a different drumbeat. For example, Paul relays to us what is expected of us by God when dealing with other people (both Christian and non-Christian):
You see, we Christians are called to be separate from the world. We are expected to behave differently. To march to a different drumbeat. For example, Paul relays to us what is expected of us by God when dealing with other people (both Christian and non-Christian):
"Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with [his] hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
Eph. 4:25-32
Eph. 4:25-32
Yeah, I know - that was a mouthful! So, let's just run through the passage one verse at a time, and get an idea of what is being said.
"Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another." This show us that we must make every effort to speak ONLY the truth. This is especially important when communicating with other Christians, since we are all part of the same spiritual body, the Bride of Christ, the Body that is the Church of Jesus. It is important to note that there is no such thing as an acceptable lie. No little white lies, no fudges of the truth. Be it the fable of "christmas" or the creative math on the taxes--it is all wrong if it isn't all truth.
"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:" It is OK to get angry, as long as the anger doesn't lead to sin. And, even more important is to get past it as fast as possible. Don't let the new day start (in the Jewish calendar, remember the new day starts at sundown) with anger still on your mind.
"Neither give place to the devil." It is wrong to give in to anything sinful. We must fight the urges to sin. That doesn't mean we are going to win all the time, but every fall should come at the end of a long, hard struggle. And with each fall, there should be a quick standing up and dusting off. Then, back we go into the fight.
"Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with [his] hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." All that we get out of this world should be earned through our honest efforts. Of course, we know that it is God that is providing. But, we must make an honest, heartfelt effort to labor for those things. The world says, "Take what you want, scam, cheat, steal...just do whatever it takes to get what you want!" God says, "Earn it." That doesn't mean everybody that isn't pouring molten steel, or building skyscrapers or such isn't earning their keep. It means that, no matter what you do, you make sure that you do something that gives a personal value to the results of your works. Also, the result of work for some is to have the most toys. The result of working, for a Christian, is to have the ability to give to those that are in need.
"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." This is a simple, but scary one. If you are going to let ANY word escape from your mouth, make sure it will be a good word, a teaching word, a word that will show the grace of Jesus to those that are listening. This takes both a watchful mind and a dose of wisdom. Words that you might say around one person might be very unhelpful around another. Think before you speak!
"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." Remember: the Holy Spirit indwells all those who belong to the Lord Jesus. Don't be hurting Him by your actions, thoughts or words. Before you say or do anything, consider who is watching.
"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:" Time for a list:
"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." OK, you talked me into it. One more list, just for the fun of it:
What does each of these directives do? Why, they set us apart from the rest of the world. The world does not reward actions like those we are to perform. In fact, the world and it's people will make every effort to stomp on and destroy those that would dare to show how much they want to be like Jesus. Oh, yes...you be a follower of Christ, and you WILL be hated!
But, remember the words of Jesus:
"Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another." This show us that we must make every effort to speak ONLY the truth. This is especially important when communicating with other Christians, since we are all part of the same spiritual body, the Bride of Christ, the Body that is the Church of Jesus. It is important to note that there is no such thing as an acceptable lie. No little white lies, no fudges of the truth. Be it the fable of "christmas" or the creative math on the taxes--it is all wrong if it isn't all truth.
"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:" It is OK to get angry, as long as the anger doesn't lead to sin. And, even more important is to get past it as fast as possible. Don't let the new day start (in the Jewish calendar, remember the new day starts at sundown) with anger still on your mind.
"Neither give place to the devil." It is wrong to give in to anything sinful. We must fight the urges to sin. That doesn't mean we are going to win all the time, but every fall should come at the end of a long, hard struggle. And with each fall, there should be a quick standing up and dusting off. Then, back we go into the fight.
"Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with [his] hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." All that we get out of this world should be earned through our honest efforts. Of course, we know that it is God that is providing. But, we must make an honest, heartfelt effort to labor for those things. The world says, "Take what you want, scam, cheat, steal...just do whatever it takes to get what you want!" God says, "Earn it." That doesn't mean everybody that isn't pouring molten steel, or building skyscrapers or such isn't earning their keep. It means that, no matter what you do, you make sure that you do something that gives a personal value to the results of your works. Also, the result of work for some is to have the most toys. The result of working, for a Christian, is to have the ability to give to those that are in need.
"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." This is a simple, but scary one. If you are going to let ANY word escape from your mouth, make sure it will be a good word, a teaching word, a word that will show the grace of Jesus to those that are listening. This takes both a watchful mind and a dose of wisdom. Words that you might say around one person might be very unhelpful around another. Think before you speak!
"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." Remember: the Holy Spirit indwells all those who belong to the Lord Jesus. Don't be hurting Him by your actions, thoughts or words. Before you say or do anything, consider who is watching.
"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:" Time for a list:
- bitterness (Greek:pikria) acridity, like a caustic poison
- wrath (Greek:thumos) passion, fierceness
- anger (Greek:orge) punishment, or vengence
- clamour (Greek:krague) outcry, chaotic tumult
- evil speaking (blasphemia) blasphemy, villification of God
- malice (Greek:kakos) just plain ol' badness
"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." OK, you talked me into it. One more list, just for the fun of it:
- kind (Greek:chrestos) easy going, gracious
- tenderhearted (Greek:eusplagchnos) compassioned, sympathetic
- forgiving (Greek:charizomai) frankly forgive, freely give
What does each of these directives do? Why, they set us apart from the rest of the world. The world does not reward actions like those we are to perform. In fact, the world and it's people will make every effort to stomp on and destroy those that would dare to show how much they want to be like Jesus. Oh, yes...you be a follower of Christ, and you WILL be hated!
But, remember the words of Jesus:
"Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Matt. 5:10
Matt. 5:10
So, you might just get that big, happy party after all. It's just not going to be held here of earth....
Grace and Peace....
Grace and Peace....
