For you it is graciously granted, for Christ's sake, not only to be believing on Him, but to be suffering for His sake also.
Philippians 1: 29, Concordant New Testament
I listened to radio pulpit pounder David Jeremiah this week speak to a sermon as to why people dislike Christians. He pointed out a few habits which non believers dislike Christians for. One of these was our moral standing in the world. That we Christians somehow are the most well behaved individuals on the planet. Well, I am living proof that this is simply not true. I screw up, I have screwed up and I will continue to do so. In fact, it is by my own bad behavior that I came to know the reality of Christ Jesus in me. We already know that many in the world shun our faith and our beliefs. We think we're better than the rest. We believe in a unseen God. We're trying to convert the entire world into our cult-like religion. Now, through the ages the Christian religion itself has earned the stripes which others today use against it. Think of the great crusades, where Christian soldiers marched as to war against the unbelieving hordes. History is full of the Christian religion forcing itself against the world. The Salem witch trials. The Spanish Inquisition. Is it any wonder why people view us as being holier than thou? But is this really how we, as believers, are supposed to present ourselves to the world? Is it our calling to hammer home Gods message to a unbelieving world? I would disagree with this. To understand how God desires His children to present themselves we must first understand who He truly is. Who is God? Well, we're told in scripture that God is love {1 John 4:8}. Does a loving God desire the domination and mistreatment of others in His name? Again, I would call out the mainstream church on this as being false teaching. Jesus Himself speaks to letting our light shine before men {Matthew 5:16}. Many a Christian pastor is of the belief that our behaviors are to be different, that it must not reflect the same kind of sin that corrupts the world. We are, in essence, to be holier than thou. So tell me Mr. holier than thou Christian, what happens when you screw up? What will your answer be when everyone you were preaching Godly behaviors to suddenly sees you for who you really are, a flesh and blood child of God.
Happy are you whenever they should be reproaching and persecuting you and, falsifying, saying every wicked thing against you, on My account. Rejoice and exult, for your wages are vast in the heavens. For thus they persecute the prophets before you.
Matthew 5: 11-12, Concordant New Testament
I want you to visualize something which will more than likely change your mind as to how you view the traditional Christ like behavior narrative. The apostle Paul speaks to the truth of Christ Jesus in Galatians {Galatians 2:20}. For Paul, his own view of Jesus was that Jesus was in him. That's right, Jesus...is Paul. By that same belief, when I look upon myself, I see Jesus. All of a sudden, what Jesus said about letting our light shine before men starts to make more sense. If we exhibit Christ who is in us, won't the world begin to see Him as well? Perhaps we need to began speaking to who it is we truly are in Christ instead of trying to convert the masses? What of that so called Godly behavior we have been told to exhibit that others may know we're Christian? Yeah, what about that? Was Paul a well behaved man? No, Paul was notorious for persecuting the early church. Paul, in fact, refers to himself as one of the worst of sinners {1 Timothy 1:15}. However, Paul was also assured of his own identity in Christ. As I said, my own misbehavior led me one night to see who I am in Jesus. It is the same revelation which was granted to Paul on the road to Damascus {Acts 9:1-5}. What has changed about me is the same as the change we see in Paul. That being my own realization of who I am. Am I still human? Yes. Do I still mess up? Absolutely. There are, indeed, those times where I forget who it that I am. This doesn't change the reality of my identity in Christ, only that I forgot who I am. I believe that this is the message that needs to be spoken to in our churches. The message that Christ is in all in all and our duty is not to force the world into compliance...but to introduce them to who they are in Christ Jesus.
With Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living; no longer I, but living in me is Christ. Now that which I am now living in flesh, I am living in faith that is of the Son of God. Who loves me, and gives Himself for me.
Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament
~Scott~
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