BY JACK WARD
In the book “unChristian,” David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, discusses some disheartening research concerning the failure of Christians in our day to remain distinct: “In virtually every study we conduct, representing thousands of interviews every year, born again Christians (talking about people who say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ) fail to display much attitudinal or behavior evidence of transformed lives.
“For instance, we found that most of the lifestyle activities of born-again Christians were statistically equivalent to those of non-born-again people. When asked to identify their activities over the last 30 days, born-again believers were just as likely to visit a pornographic website, to take something that did not belong to them, to consult a medium or psychic, to physically fight or abuse someone, to have consumed enough alcohol to be considered legally drunk, to have used an illegal nonprescription drug, to have said something to someone that was not true, to have gotten back at someone for something he or she did, and to have said mean things behind another person’s back.”
Christians should be different from the people of the world. As a matter of fact, the world should hate you because of your biblical standards. Jesus said in John 15:19: “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
Does the world hate you? That is, are your ways so different that people avoid you for it? Do they call you a stick in the mud? Are you the party pooper of the world?
Jesus described why the world hated Him in John 7:7: “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.” Jesus said that the world hated Him because of His righteousness and accountability. The world hates Christian behavior because it tells them that sin and rebellion are wrong and that they are accountable to God for what they do. But the world loves “unChristian” behavior because they feel that anyone can be that kind of Christian. No personal accountability or holiness—everyone can live up to that.
But we are called out of this world and not to be like people who are “unChristian.” Romans 12:2: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
You can say that you are a Christian, but what do others say about your Christian life? People may not like you, but your holy and righteous life should convict them. They should see your good works and glorify the Lord.
James 2:18: “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”
Does your Christian life show? Does it show by your good works and holy life?
Let us stop “unChristian” behavior. It reflects poorly on us and our Lord.
Listen to Pastor Jack’s sermons every Sunday morning at 10:30 on 98.9 WSIP FM. Check out the Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church Facebook page and our website at tomahawkmbc.com.