Thursday, August 06, 2015

So What's the Difference?

David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons write in their book titled "Unchristian" the following:  "When asked to identify their activities over the last thirty days, born-again believers were just as likely to bet or gamble, to visit a pornographic website, to take something that did not belong to them, to consult a medium or psychic, to physically fight or abuse someone, to have consumed enough alcohol to be considered legally drunk, to have used an illegal, nonprescription drug, to have said something to someone that was not true, to have gotten back at someone for something he or she did, and to have said mean things behind another person's back."

So what is the difference?  How is the Christian any different than the pagan? Well, the obvious answer is that the Christians are saved by the grace of God. I obviously do not question that, and praise God for it!  But should there not be a difference in the lifestyles of Christians from those of the pagan?  That really is more of a rhetorical question.  You already know the answer, or at least you should.

The Apostle Paul says in Romans 6:1-2 ... What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?  By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

We have the power of the Holy Spirit living in us.  Nothing can overcome that power.  Not one sin habit is stronger.  So why do we continue to live like the pagan?  Because that is what we choose to do.  We would rather do what we want to do than what Christ wants us to do.  And yet Jesus says in John 14:15 ... If you love me, you will obey what I command.  It appears that we love ourselves more than we love Christ.

2 Timothy 3:1-5a records ... But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power.  

We need to Power up!  We need to submit to the Holy Spirit and allow him to make us different!