The question is an obsession for me: "How does a Christian maintain a distinctly God-honoring life while being effective in his calling to influence his friends, family, and community?"
Some Believers I know are so immersed in their world and culture, that their Christianity is all but invisible! They are materialistic consumers, obsessed with their status and things, doing little (at least that I can see) to advance the cause of Christ. They can sing all the current tunes and discuss the latest movie, but have little to say about what the Spirit is saying to them through the Scripture, of which they know little or nothing. Others choose to live so separately, that they are out of touch and irrelevant, incapable of having a meaningful conversation with anyone who is not 'on the inside' with them! They can win a Bible Trivia quiz anytime, but they don't build any bridges from the Church to the world and fail miserably as articulate communicators of the Gospel. Each side claims its own proof texts from the Bible. Those who are 'relevant,' point to Jesus' words about being 'salt and light,' and not putting a covering over their light so it can shine. Those who are separatists point to the verse that says, "Touch no unclean thing... come out from among them and be holy!"
As usual in my moderate stance, I am in the middle! Those who completely withdraw from the world of which they are a part miss out on many opportunities to do God's work in that world. Without recognizing it, they become hypocritical. They take advantage of the education, the technologies, and the medical knowledge that others who they look down on as less 'spiritual' produce; but refuse to make their own contribution to the processes that bring those advances. Those who are engaged with their world, risk being swallowed by it! Many who have stepped outside of the safety of the 'church' culture in an attempt to bring Christ to the world lose their footing and fall headlong into the muck they hoped to clean up.
My early Christian experience was primarily expressed in a separatist mode. My attitude towards 'the world' was one of contempt. I regarded it as destined for destruction and said, "It's all gonna burn, so let it go to Hell." In one sense I was right. The Scripture is very clear about the temporary nature of the present order of things teaching us that "the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment." (2 Peter 3:10, NLT) Repeatedly the Bible warns about being seduced by the world that is passing away, about loving things that we cannot carry into Eternity.
However, (you knew that was coming, didn't you?).... the Believer is to be redemptive, not dismissive, in his stance towards the world! That word, redemptive, comes from the institution of slavery. A person who fell into debt because of mismanagement or misfortune, could be seized, along with his family, and forced into servitude to his creditors. A wretched existence resulted. But the extended family could gather resources to satisfy the creditors claims and 'redeem' their kinsman from servitude, restoring his freedom. That person was called a redeemer kinsman. (For a wonderful story about this, see the short book of Ruth. Boaz became her redeemer kinsman!)
Our model in our relationship with the world around us is Jesus Christ Himself, "who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." (Titus 2:14, NIV) In this Season of Advent, we remember that He was willing to leave His place in Heaven, to become fully human, to suffer temptation, deprivation, and rejection to -- yes, become our Redeemer! His death on the Cross was not for His benefit, but for ours. His Incarnation was not for His own reputation, but so that He could become our Priest, creating a bridge from God to fallen humanity.
So, Jude tells us to "Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh." (Jude 22-23, NIV) And how do we do this without losing ourselves to the world?
Answer that as you ponder this word from the Word today.
"But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.... To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." (Jude 20-21, 24-25, NIV)
Go, in the power of the Spirit, and be REDEMPTIVE to someone today!
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