it's a hard knock life

Being a Christ follower in today's society is harder than ever. With more sin around us than ever before, it can make proclaming our faith easier than living out our faith. Telling our friends about Christ's love, rather than showing our friends Christ's love. How do we stay strong if we only have unsaved friends, and how do we share the gospel if we only have Christian friends? We must find a balance between the world and the church. When we are challenged and tempted by the things of this world, we need to have believers who can hold us accountable and pray for us. I bring these questions and thoughts to the table only to follow them up with what the Bible says about these issues.

I appreciate the way my dad views this topic. It is such a practical way, he puts it like this...

We are to be in the world, but not of the world.

We are not to be isolated from the world, but yet insulated from the world.

If you would allow me to use this illustraion. We [Christians] are like a submarine. A submarine is in the water but clearly not part of the water. And the submarine is obviously not isolated from the water, but yet it is insulated from the water and keeps the water out. We are in the world but are not to be like the world, we are called, by God, to be different. Also, we must not isolate ourselves from the world, but we must insulate ourselves so the things of the world do not damage us.

Matthew 5:14 says, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." Right there, God calls us to be a light in the dark, to be a witness to the lost. Mark 16:15 says, "Go into all the WORLD, and preach the Good News to all creation." It couldn't put it any more clear than right there. We are to go into the world and try to help the hurting. Now, Romans 12:9 says, "Hate what is evil and cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love." Later on in verse 21, it says, "Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good." The Word of God is very clear about living among worldy things but not giving into the evil ways of the world.

My friends, we are called to be in the world but not become like the world. Put on the full armor of God so you can resist the attcks of the enemy. It is a battle and we are on the front line. We cannot afford to watch from the sidelines. We ust fight for the very One who made us and holds our future in his hands. My prayer for myself, and for you, is that we will be in the world, but not of the world.