"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;…Matt.5:13-14Recently, I was asked a simple question, "Why did you change banks?" I hemmed and hawed and to be honest lied. I didn't mean to or intend to. It was a gut reaction. I was trying to avoid offending a family member I dearly love. I knew exactly what that family member would think if I told them the real reason and I knew they would be offended. So for the sake of 'politeness', I avoided the topic.
Today I realized with horror, that it has been my life-long habit to avoid offending others with my Christian beliefs or obedience to God's Word. I'm very polite. No wonder I get along so well with the unsaved! No wonder I never get reviled or insulted. Why should anyone be offended at me?
In response to this question, I made up a generalization of how we were wanting to move our credit card balance into a personal loan and that the interest rate at the new bank was much better. This of course was very true, but it wasn't the main reason.
The main reason we changed banks was because Wells Fargo starting publicly promoting and advertising to the LGBT community. They came out with a second commercial promoting the LGBT lifestyle just recently. We knew that the bank we moved to, USAA, might very well be supporting them too in private, but they certainly weren't doing so in public.
We aren't trying to avoid every connection with any business who does this--but only those who actively promote the lifestyle. It's a huge effort but worth it. My conscience will rest better knowing I made a statement to every bank administrator I've had to talk to in this process. Will it help? I don't know. But the results are not my responsibility--only my obedience to my conscience and the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
Sadly, my boldness towards strangers at Wells Fargo did not equal my boldness in talking to my family member. The bank employees have to be polite. I knew they weren't going to make a fuss. But I wasn't willing to offend a family member by being honest about my biblical principles.
I realized that I had prayed that week that the Lord would open a door to show the love and life of Christ to my family member, and he did.. but I flubbed it completely. I hid my light. I didn't want to face any level of persecution or offend someone and face loss of relationship to any degree. I didn't want to face the momentary reaction.
This morning, I repented in tears over a sinful propensity that I was absolutely oblivious to--social politeness at the expense of gospel truth. Typical American Christian--that's me.
I had been praying this week, "Lord, show me my sin," and oddly enough, I'm always so surprised when He does. I don't know why--He's answered that prayer so many times! It's like a lightening bolt of revelation every single time. It's amazing how the Lord can and does arrange circumstances to teach you the practical meaning of His word, if you have eyes to see and ears to hear. When I saw what I'd done, I could only weep and tell the Lord I was sorry. I knew then that it was time to write.
As you know, I'm studying Matthew chapters 1-7 and this week I'm in the beatitudes. Yesterday I was reading this verse...
"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matt: 5:11-12
I have to be honest--every time I read that passage, I squirmed, because I knew for a fact that I am rarely persecuted for righteousness sake. Actually, I have experienced a tiny measure of that in the last couple of years but not really to the degree this verse means.
I didn't realize, until this week, what it is that actually brings on persecution--even social persecution. It's living and communicating honestly our obedience to God's word and his moral standards and being unwilling to compromise that offends others. However lovingly we say it, they will still be offended.
We don't live that way. We talk a good talk about loving and living for Jesus, maybe on Facebook, maybe not. But when it comes to day to day, face to face interactions--we want people to like us--so we say nothing.
Sure--we all face a general sort of social persecution in the media. But we don't often face personal persecution. Often times, what we call persecution is just people reacting to our self-righteous attitudes. That's not what this verse means.
So we offend no one and no one sees or hears about God's standards or even knows who God really is. Sadly, if there are no standards then how do you define sin? If there's no sin, why repent and who needs a Savior? If we live and talk much like the world and adopt their standards in the name of not being perceived as 'legalistic', we will never offend anyone. If we don't stand up for the gospel, proclaiming that Jesus is the only way to heaven, we hold out nothing of value to the world at all.
People are miserable because of sin in their lives. Why are Christians often miserable? Why are the divorce rates the same or worse as the secular world? Because we are living out lives perilously similar to theirs. Our values are very similar. We've lost our saltiness plain and simple.
How did we get here? What happened to America of 60 years ago? How did we go from a society that applauded and rewarded church-goers and those who stood up for moral standards to a society that despises those same people?
It started with us--your average Christian church members and our response to those who were determined to change our society. They had an agenda and they pushed it and promoted it by every means possible. We bowed to social pressure and in the name of 'politeness', said as little as possible.
Why? Because at the same time as this push was taking place, American Christians were losing their saltiness. The cares of this world, and the lust of the eyes (desiring what we see), the lust of the flesh (moral failure), and the pride of life (boasting of what we have and do), have taken over our day to day lives.
John Macarthur had an excellent sermon on this very topic.
"Now, if you want, you can escape. You can go through your whole life and never get persecuted. It’s very simple, really. Tell you how to do it. First of all, approve all the world’s standards. Approve the world’s standards. Fit right in. And then accept the world’s morals and the world’s ethics. Just join right in. Live like the world lives. Don’t tell people they’re sinners. Don’t tell people they’re lost without Jesus Christ. Don’t tell people they’re doomed to death, and for goodness’ sakes, don’t talk about hell. Don’t preach and teach that Jesus Christ is the only way and every other system of religion is a lie.
Don’t separate yourself from the world and all of its activities and all of its enterprises. Go along with the world, laugh at its jokes, enjoy its entertainment, smile when it mocks God, let them take His name in vain, and just be ashamed to take a stand for Christ, and I’ll promise you you’ll never be persecuted.
And then when you’re all done doing that, examine yourself to see whether you’re in the faith or not because there might be good question whether you really are. Now, you may be a Christian, just living in disobedience.
And may I add this? If you decide to live this way, remember Luke 9:26, where Jesus said this: “Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words, of him shall the Son of Man” – what? – “be ashamed.” Jesus said, “If you’re ashamed of me, I’ll be ashamed of you.” The last thing I want and I think the last thing you dear people want is that Jesus Christ would be ashamed of you. But it can happen. It can happen. In Luke 6:26, our Lord said this: “Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you.” Don’t ever forget that. When you are popular with everybody, then they don’t know the truth about you. You’ve masked your Christianity or you’re not a Christian at all. We clung to our 'standards' like the church at Ephesus to whom the Lord said" ~ John MacArthur
Many Christians have lost their first love, and that's part of the problem. ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first." Rev. 2:1-5
Frankly, many churches are like Laodicians whom the Lord told, "I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. " Rev. 3:15-17
I don't know about you, but I am overwhelmed by the revelation of my own spiritual wimpiness and fears.
The Lord has done much to change my heart about His holiness and how I ought to embrace that. It is not popular to live a life of holiness, obedience, and love for Jesus. Our standard ought not to be what is culturally acceptable, even in our church circles, but what the bible says is right and wrong.
We don't live these standards to 'earn our salvation' which is the only honest definition of legalism. We live them because Jesus says to and God says to. We must ignore the cries of 'legalism' that are thrown at us for holding to those standards. It's not legalism it's devotion and obedience to the Lord and his Word.
We are never to judge anyone elses standards but simply to obey as the Lord convicts our own conscience and not be embarrassed to do so or to answer why when asked. If you want to be salty, you start with salt--the gospel and God's word and obedience to it.
Believe me, your life will change, and yes, some will be offended but you will make a difference! Jesus' life lived through you will love the world and convict the world. You will bring that preserving influence to our culture and give hope to the timid. You can do this simply by the influence of your life lived unto Him and focused on your own relationship with Christ and by living a life of love towards others.
Changing the world starts with us. We must not be afraid to live for the Lord or to speak up for the reason of the hope that is in us.
But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15
Dear Lord,
I thank you for forgiving me for my unwillingness to speak the truth in love out of fear of offending others. I pray you would give me boldness when I call this family member to make it right. I pray you would use it for your eternal purposes.
Lord help us to follow you no matter the cost and fill us with your Spirit to be bold witnesses for you and your truth whether at home, church, or in the community at large.
You would have saved Sodom and Gomorrah for only five righteous people's sake! May we give you many reasons to save our country! May we live so in love with you and so obedient to your Word that our lives look very different than the world's and so give the world an alternative.
Help us give up our love for earthly things, pleasures and pursuits for the sake of the gospel and our personal walk with You.
May we be lights in a dark world and testimonies to Your love, grace, truth, and holiness no matter the cost. Help us to never be ashamed of the gospel of Christ or it's effect on our daily walk.
In your precious Name we pray,
Amen
