Christian Living

Christian Living

Isn’t it about time for Christians to act and live a bit more like the Word says a Christian should try to live? (Including me.)  You only have to watch FaceBook and Twitter and what do you see? Bad language? Questionable morals? Scandal & gossip mongering? Yes - All this and plenty more besides.

Go to any church and listen to the gossip. The divorce and separation rate among Christians is no lower than for the rest of the world. In fact in some places it even higher. Whenever a large Christian conference hits town, statistics show that the hotel TV porn channel usage figures go up exponentially.

How can we turn this tide of un-Christian living around?

Well, we could try to follow some Biblical advice. We need to try to be in the world but not of the world. One of the main troubles with Christianity and church, from the worldly perception, is that we are no different. Yet we are supposed to be carriers of God’s presence to the world. In order to show them that we are different we are supposed to show love, and more than that, to show respect to them that we may earn that same respect back again.

When the world sees those who call themselves brothers and sisters squabbling, sometimes fiercely – even viciously – what do they think? When we hide ourselves away in our buildings and never ask a stranger, or neighbour, or friend, or relative inside – what must they think? When they see us divorcing; turning our noses up at those we consider ‘the lost’; telling lies; swearing; having the morals of an alley cat; and generally carrying on as if we are better, holier, and somehow cleaner than the rest of the world – what on earth is there about Christianity to make them think that it is in any way a better way to live?

No, the Bible says that we are to love one another and to love our neighbour as ourselves. The Bible says that by our fruit they will know us. What fruit are we showing the world by the way we live now? Surely it is time for some proper Biblical Christian behaviour way and way of life. It is time to love the downcast and underprivileged. It is time to walk alongside the wounded and the prisoner. It is time to help the homeless, the widows and orphans.

Isaiah 61:1-3 tells us “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” If we change the word ‘me’ to the word ‘us’ – I am sure God won’t mind – we will get the idea. Then the Great Commission tells us to preach the Gospel, cast out demons and heal the sick. Finally Acts 1:8 says “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 

I think that we can be as the Word of God tells us. He never said that being a Christian would be easy. He never told us to try to do things in our own strength. He called us to do them and whosoever He calls, He enables through Holy Spirit. He doesn’t expect us to do what we’ve never been taught or shown without helping us to do it.

It really is up to us to take Him at His word, to believe Him, and to live the Christian life that His Word exhorts and encourages us to live. As I have said so many times before

JUST DO IT – and all glory to God \o/