“Nothing is wasted, you learned a lot in doing it, and had the satisfaction of seeing your work completed and pleasing to others.”
--Louis L'Amour (Bendigo Shafter)
"In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."
--Matthew 5:16 (HCSB)
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What do others think when they see you? Your family, your kids, your friends, acquaintances--how do they view you? You say you are a Christian, but, well, do your actions match up with your profession? No, it is not legalism to live a holy life. It is a command, "Be holy, for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16). It is not a life of compromise, of choosing what in the world you can do and what you must put aside. To be holy, bluntly means--Grow Up! Be mature, be responsible, be separate from the world and unto God, be obedient to God's Word. You cannot be complacent and be holy. It takes focus, discipline, and work. Paul tells us to "Abstain from all appearance of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:22, KJV). Stay away from what might be considered evil and that means do not compromise the standards of God's Word with your wants, desires, passions that you see in the world.
Peter gives us some guidelines when he wrote, "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul" (1 Peter 2:11, NKJV). Here we have a basic commandment--abstain from fleshly desires, or as the ESV puts it, "the passions of the flesh." Wanting the things of the world, living by the flesh, so to speak, means life lived without the standards, the help, the grace and the influence of Christ. Paul A. Cedar states, "Godly living always begins with the forsaking of sin." Yet, we see so many Christians wanting to enjoy these "pleasures" and if you speak to them about it, they immediately shout, "legalism."
As a pilgrim we are to live by God's standards. As citizens of heaven, we cannot accept the world's standards. "As visitors here, avoid things that will destroy your soul" (Edward A. Starks). We are journeying on the road to glory and you cannot get there by compromise and complacency. Our goal is heaven, therefore, we must do nothing that will keep us from reaching that goal. William Barclay says that as Christians, "He must never become so entangled in the world that he cannot escape from its grip; he must never so soil himself as to be unfit to enter the presence of the holy God to whom he is going."
Don't dilly-dally along the way. Understand, and I want to emphasize that this is not a picnic, but a war. Focus is needed for it is a fight, a mortal threat against the soul. How dare we participate in pagan (worldly) immorality. You are target enough why then stand up and allow the enemy a clear shot at you. We represent our Supreme Commander therefore our conduct must be truthful--that is, holy conduct. Life must be of quality, wholesome, attractive--holy in all we do. Know this, "God is not merely concerned with our profession; He is concerned with our possession--our lifestyle" (Cedar). We are "living letters," we are "Christ ambassadors" therefore we represent Jesus in our very lifestyle. Our daily life must be such that we commend Christ. Edward A. Starks reminds us, "Though the outside world may not think much of you, be careful for your testimony among them."
D.C. Adkisson
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