Perhaps one of the most reticules things I have ever heard recently was – and I quote – "I don't want them to know that I am a Christian . . . that way I can witness and they won't be prejudice." I have talked with many a so-called Christian; many who believe that we are all of one faith no matter who we call to, but never have I spoke with someone that was so unbiblically sound in doctrine as this person.
Their point was that if someone knows right off that you are a Christian that they will not trust you and therefore you will have no opportunity to truly witness to them. However, this flies in the very face of what we are called to do. We are instructed by our God to "go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." (Mark 14:23) To compel literally means to "To cause (a person or thing) to act or move in spite of resistance." Paul said it this way: "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." (II Cor. 5:11) It is our duty in life to inform and reveal that humanity is condemned already. It is not us that is condemning, but rather we are literally walking dead men. We are in this world without hope unless we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
As Christians we have this treasure in earthen vessels . . . the blessed knowledge that there is no other name than Jesus by which we must be saved. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all [Eph. 4:5]. We know this, we believe this, and it is our duty to go into the dark world and shine bright as living epistles of Jesus Christ. There is, however, only one real way of doing this. We must live a life set apart from the sin of this world. We cannot reveal a better way if we do not follow that way ourselves. We have been called out of the sin to live in his glorious holiness. As it is written "as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation." (I Pet. 1:15)
Holiness is not an option for the Christian life, it is, instead, a command. We are to be physically pure, to present our "bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God." (Rom. 12:1) We must "lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us . . . [and let us] press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Heb. 12:1, Phil. 3:14) Let us therefore, walk eternally in the spirit and seek not an occasion to fulfill the lust of the flesh [Gal. 5:13]. |
