Do Not Be Conformed
Through the centuries, Gods people have positively influenced the world in many ways. Christians have established hospitals and schools, as well as nursing homes for the elderly and children’s homes for the orphans. Through the spread of the teachings of Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:12), His followers have helped put an end to the evils associated with slavery, elevating the value and role of women in society, and, in general, helped a fallen world become a more tolerable place to live.
As good of an influence as God’s people have had upon the world, however, all too often many Christians allow the world to have very negative influences on their lives. Instead of walking “in the light” (1 John 1:7), and being the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14-16), many “Christians” have been deceived by the devil’s devices and become “full of darkness” (Read Matthew 6:23). Satan has convinced many saints that sin (in general) is stylish and amusing. For example, a very popular song in recent months (even among some Christian) contains the following lyrics: “Livin’ in sin is the new thing (yeah)…… I don’t see the harm…… Livin’ in sin is the new thing…. What we do is innocent.”
What Kinds of sinful things are a number of Christians finding “innocent”? Namely the evil works of the flesh that the apostle Paul lists in Galatians 5:19-21, including fornication, impurity, lewdness, and drunkenness. Much of the music that Christians listen to and the television that Christians watch have desensitized them to the ungodliness of sin.
Christians need a great awakening! God is holy and sin is destructive. God’s people have to “cast off the works of darkness, and… put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12). Followers of Jesus Christ must not conform to the world (Romans 12:2 but live as the light of the world.
“You are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness and truth)… and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”
(Ephesians 5:8, 9, 11)
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