Do our lives spark riots? Simply living our lives, not deliberately engaging in acts of civil disobedience? When is that last time our day to day lives have caused a problem with the economy? When the average citizen complains of the results of our evangelism because they are losing their jobs or income? Curious questions, of course, to think that just being changed in the heart would so drastically affect the world around us. But we are called to be a stark image that contrasts with the world around us, being in the world but not of it.
Joh 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
If Christ is evident in our lives we ought to be living lives where a changed heart is seen, one where our former lifestyles no longer have rule in our lives. Imagine what would happen to some of the things we so ardently protest, the things that are so contrary to a righteous life. We expect the world to hold to a moral standard that many Christians do not even follow.
1John 5:2-5 Hereby we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and do his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is begotten of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith. And who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Yet, how often do we profess Christ with out lips and deny him in our actions? We complain about the entertainment industry and it's depraved productions, and then we go and support it financially by purchasing the very products that promote what we revile. Of course we excuse ourselves by saying that all things are permisable but might not build us up, or perhaps some
other justification that allows to to keep the idols of our hearts.... maybe even saying they are things indifferent and not things that affect us.
We aren't even appalled by so much of the entertainment that features fornication, adultery or other debased ideas. No, not even selfishness and greed are repugnant. Instead we laugh and participate, we emulate the forms of status with our possessions and our speach. Virtuous life is a joke and distance ourselves from it, we call evil good and good is called evil.... and yet we want to say we belong to Christ.
Act 19:23-29 And about that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines of Diana, brought no little business unto the craftsmen; whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this business we have our wealth. And ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: and not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana be made of no account, and that she should even be deposed from her magnificence, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. And when they heard this, they were filled with wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. And the city was filled with the confusion: and they rushed with one accord into the theatre, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel.
A very interesting thing about the riotous reaction in Ephesus by the manufacturers of idols is that they were losing business because too many people were following Christ and doing away with idolatry. No longer did these people buy the lifeless gods when they had the living God to worship. They had rejected their old ways, repented of them and cast them off. The idol foundries were hitting hard times, not because some Christians decided to shut them down or even make laws restricting them, they were shutting down because their customer's hearts were changed and no longer sought the former things.
When is the last time we heard the entertainment industry going to the streets and protested Christians because too few people were buying their work? That has never happened! When has an abortion clinic closed when they lost business because people decided to keep their children? When has a drug dealer left town because users kicked the habit? We work so fervently to shut down places of ill repute, yet when has one closed because it's customers stopped coming due to their heart's conversion?
Indeed we are the ones that protest and complain about empty churches, about a world working against us, about anti-christian bias... we feel we are being discriminated against in so many areas. We say we are persecuted in our jobs, in our lives, in our politics..... and even in our homes. Perhaps then we are the pagans who are irate that our idols are not selling well!
If our lives do not reflect Christ then there can be only one conclusion... and that is that Christ is not within us. We can not profess Christ and deny Him at the same time. If God has placed a real desire to see a world that is changed then that change must occur in us. Unless God changes our heart we are nothing more than idolators who believe only in our own ways rather than rejoicing in God's.
Mat 5:10-14 Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.
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