The world is going amok. What is happening? It seems like chaos and confusion are everywhere. Things that are wrong have now become right. And things that are right have now become wrong. If you say the “wrong pronoun,” you are insensitive to how the person you are addressing may “identify” as to what gender they are. If you follow the “wrong” political party, you could be seen as a racist or unloving. If you do not support the “right” cause, you could be labeled “evil” for having a different opinion and the list goes on and on and on.
What is a Christian supposed to do in such a place of total rebellion to God’s word? First, we cannot allow ourselves to get caught up in the madness. We cannot bend a little to please or to fit in. We cannot be hypocritical where we water down our Christianity to appease family members and friends who do not believe and then turn on the righteousness faucet when we are around the brothers and sisters of Christ. As James 3:10 (AMPC) says, “Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing. These things, my brethren, ought not to be so.”
Secondly, we must separate ourselves. As Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17:14-17, He called for the disciples to be set apart from the ungodly actions of the world; to be sanctified amid evil … not to succumb to evil. The verse of 2 Cor. 6:14 (AMP) says it so well: “Do not be unequally bound together with unbelievers [do not make mismatched alliances with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”
Lastly, we cannot act “holier than thou” and expect people to see the difference. We are human with human frailties walking out our faith one day at a time. There must be a genuineness about our relationship with God. That relationship only comes with regular fellowship with Him, reading His word, prayer, and true worship. Because we spend time with Him and study, we become more like Him. Then we are able to do 1 Peter 3:15-17 (KJV, capitalization mine): “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready ALWAYS to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than evil doing.”
Judith Armstrong is a staff member of Lord of Hosts Church.
