We Are Called to be Set Apart - Part I

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
Isn't that a wonderful verse?  We, as followers of Christ, are a new creation.  Our old sinner self has passed away - died.  What we have now is a new creation.  One created in Christ - the perfect, unblemished One of God.  Wow!
That being said, how many of us (and how often) still hold onto our old selves?  How many times do we still act as though we are still part of the world? Still living half in the world and half in Christ.  I, for one, have struggled with my "old" self all throughout my walk as a new creation.  As an experienced backslider into the ways of the world, I have come to be sort of an expert in seeing the church, other Christians, still living in the world, when we are, in fact, called to be set apart from the world.
Take, for instance, sex outside of marriage.  When you look at polling data, people who claim to be Christian are having sex outside of marriage at about the same rate as non-Christians.  Christian youth tend to be as sexually active as non-Christian youth. The same holds true for divorce. (Although, if you look within the numbers it shows that people who consider themselves devout Christians and attend church at least once a week, that number is far lower.  There's a lesson in there.)
It is important to always remember that we are called to be different, to set an example for the rest of the world.  To be that light unto the world, not to be of the world.  People should look to us as an example of Christ.  We may be the only Jesus they see in a day.  When we conduct our lives no different from the rest of the world, what kind of witness can we be.
In order to live our lives as the new creation promised, we must stay in the Word of God.  That means meditating on the Word.  Seek the Truth.  In addition, we cannot neglect worshipping together and holding each other accountable (Hebrews 10:25, Galatians 6:2).  There is strength in numbers. 
In the next installment, we'll look further at living as the new creation promised in 2 Corinthians.

What is the World's Creed?

I heard this creed quoted in a talk by Christian philosopher and apologist Ravi Zacharias.  With obvious sarcasm, English journalist Steve Turner wrote this "Creed" of Postmodernism.  It is, I hate to say, a true reflection of the prevailing thoughts and actions of the world's citizens.  It really could be our creed.

We believe in Marxfreudanddarwin
We believe everything is OK
As long as you don't hurt anyone
To the best of your definition of hurt,
And to the best of your knowledge.


We believe in sex before, during, and after marriage.
We believe in the therapy of sin.
We believe that adultery is fun.
We believe that sodomy’s OK.


We believe that taboos are taboo.
We believe that everything's getting better
Despite evidence to the contrary.
The evidence must be investigated
And you can prove anything with evidence.


We believe there's something in horoscopes, UFO's and bent spoons.
Jesus was a good man just like Buddha, Mohammed, and ourselves.
He was a good moral teacher though we think His good morals were bad.


We believe that all religions are basically the same-
At least the one that we read was.
They all believe in love and goodness.
They only differ on matters of creation, sin, heaven, hell, God, and salvation.


We believe that after death comes the Nothing
Because when you ask the dead what happens they say nothing.
If death is not the end, if the dead have lied, then its compulsory heaven for all
Excepting perhaps Hitler, Stalin, and Genghis Kahn

We believe in Masters and Johnson
What's selected is average.
What's average is normal.
What's normal is good.

We believe in total disarmament.
We believe there are direct links between warfare and bloodshed.
Americans should beat their guns into tractors.
And the Russians would be sure to follow.

We believe that man is essentially good.
It's only his behavior that lets him down.
This is the fault of society.
Society is the fault of conditions.
Conditions are the fault of society.


We believe that each man must find the truth that is right for him.
Reality will adapt accordingly.
The universe will readjust.
History will alter.
We believe that there is no absolute truth excepting the truth that there is no absolute truth.


We believe in the rejection of creeds,
And the flowering of individual thought.
If chance be the Father of all flesh, disaster is his rainbow in the sky

And when you hear
State of Emergency!
Sniper Kills Ten!
Troops on Rampage!
Whites go Looting!
Bomb Blasts School!
It is but the sound of man worshipping his maker.

Gay - Why Does It Matter?

I've noticed some Jesus followers who are confused about standing against homosexuality. The subject causes many of us to cringe because we fear the "intolerant" label. In particular, the pro-homosexuality argument based around civil rights has become a popular one that many Christians find it difficult to argue against.

It is vital for us to remember that God's commands to us are always connected to His love for us. In the case of homosexuality, this statement could not be more true. But, I rarely hear the anti-homosexuality argument put forth with this in mind.

Homosexuality is an extremely destructive lifestyle. God knows this. Because of His unfathomable love for us, He warns and commands us to forsake it and turn to Him. What God knows and His reasons for hating this sin are borne out by the facts. As Christ-followers, we must be diligent and consistent at presenting these facts to the lost world and to Christians engaged in this lifestyle.

Studies have repeatedly shown that the average life expectancy of men and women engaged in the homosexual lifestyle is more than 20-30 years less than heterosexuals. On top of dying at unbelievably early ages, homosexuals often suffer horribly in the time leading up to their death.

Sometimes it seems like the only ones who speak out against this sin proclaim their hatred for gays and lesbians. Hatred is not what is needed. The redeeming love of Jesus Christ is all that is needed. First, to ensure an everlasting peace for all who trust Him - homosexuals included. Second, to help the people caught in the darkness of this sin to move into the light.

Without Jesus, many will suffer. We must love by explaining the specific consequences of this sin (and all sin). We must present Jesus Christ as a way out. The risk of appearing intolerant is one we'll just have to take.

Sex & Multiplication

Why in the world would God say:

So, God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female.  God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it.  Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth."  - Genesis 1:27-28

And, why in the world would this be the subject of my blog today?  

God told the first couple to have a lot of kids.  He did this after He blessed them.  Does this command apply to you?  While I can't answer that question with certainty, part of the story in Genesis certainly applies to you today - you have been blessed - blessed with great wealth, health and liberty.  

So, what if the command is for you too?  And, what if you obeyed it?  What if Western Christians had obeyed the command over the past 40 years?  What if we had many more children and what if American's had not aborted 45 million children?  

If we had obeyed this command, would you be facing the myriad of crises with which you are now confronted?

Social Security Crisis - There would be no crisis if there was a generation of 75 million or more young tax payers paying taxes.  Right?  Think about it.  The reason Social Security is about to fail is because there are more old, retired people than can be supported by those still working.

Record National Debt - If 75 million or more young tax payers were employed and paying taxes, would there be any National Debt at all?

Terrorism - America's ability to fight terrorism around the world has been stretched to the limits by the fact that we have a limited number of military personnel.  We also have limited resources.  With 75 million or more young tax payers, wouldn't we have more money for military spending and development and wouldn't we have more people to fight religious zealots that want us all dead?  Wouldn't we have more missionaries reaching more people around the world making the peace of a loving God more prevalent in the radical Islamic world?  Wouldn't European Christians also be impacting all these things?

American Industry - One of the major problems for America's economy has been the necessity to ship jobs to lower-developed countries because we don't have the necessary workforce. When we have 4-8% unemployment, that means there's no one left to do the work that American companies need done.  Wouldn't 75 million more young workers solve that problem?

World Poverty & Disease - Would 75 million or more young Americans be able to make a difference in feeding the hungry and stopping disease on the continent of Africa, in Appalachia and around the world?

Virtually all Western nations like France, UK, Canada, Germany, etc. are actually losing population because their citizens are not having enough children to replace themselves when they die.  Their overall population growth comes from immigration.  And, in many instances, the majority of immigrants to these countries are Muslim.  That means their culture is being displaced by Islamic culture.  

The United States is the lone exception.  We've averaged just 2.3 children per couple - which barely replaces our citizen population as people die.  That's not enough to keep us from all the major problems we now face.

Now, back to the command in Genesis 1.  It seems to me that God's wisdom applies across the ages.  Does it apply to you?  As you begin to start families of your own, keep in mind that having children is a selfless act.  Getting a career, making money, living your dreams, buying a home, owning cars and televisions - none of these things are necessarily bad - but they are all selfish.  They are selfish because they are all about what you want for yourself.  

Could God's wisdom and the command he gave Adam and Eve be calling you away from that selfishness and into something infinitely more important?  Maybe God is calling you to take the prospects of children and family much more seriously than Christians in my generation did. I don't know.  I'm just asking.