A Different Pattern of Living
I read this yesterday in a book on the Old Testament that I’m reading and it got my wheels turning a little:
The instructions given to the Israelites at Mount Sinai made it possible for them to adopt a pattern of living that would distinguish them from the heathen environment in Egypt as well as in Canaan. The Law, the tabernacle, the priesthood, the offerings, and the feasts were provisions and means for them to live in conformity to God’s plan for His covenant people. Obedience and faith were essential in maintaining this covenant relationship.
I’ve talked about it plenty on this blog, but the concern still remains: I wonder how Christians are showing the world that they are different.
Christians spend a lot of time trying to be relevant, trying to be like the culture in order to reach the culture.
But it often happens that we end up looking no different than the culture. We have these beliefs that we keep to ourselves and we still live with our boyfriends/girlfriends, we still go out and get drunk on Thirsty Thursdays, we still hoard our money, and we still love ourselves more than others.
Do those near you who are not Christians even know or ask why you are different?
Looking at the list of all the things the Nation Israel had to distinguish themselves, I was trying to compare them to things Christians today do and I was having a hard time. Sure we typically gather together for an hour on Sunday, we pray before meals, we read our Bibles once or twice a week. Is that really different?
And believe me I’m writing this to myself, not just to you.
What do you think? Do Christians do enough to show themselves to be different from today’s culture?
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Tyler Braun.
As you well know, the danger when we talk about such things is to begin to focus on some outward thing and become legalistic. There are a billion examples of that, and I’m sure you can think of some modern ones, not just the Pharisees. I think the challenge is to become like Christ (which will in fact make us different), to live with eternity in mind, etc and to let that transform our hearts as well as the surface of our lives.
For instance, Sabbath and simplicity are two works God is doing in my life. I could take either one of those and become so legalistic about it that I miss the point entirely and while I might live an outward life of Sabbath and simplicity, I will not bear the spiritual fruit God desires. I will not learn to live in peace, and contentment and to rest in God, and to give out of my abundance to others.
In my opinion, we fall into this trap because it is far easier to change the outside than it is to submit to the workings of God that lead to transformation. And guess what? When we do the changing (how we dress) we become prideful in our own righteousness. When that change flows out of a work of God we are much more able to remain humble because we know we needed that spiritual change!
This generation rejects outward change without inward change as well. And they should. (or we should – what generation am I in?) Yet that is not enough. We must long – more than anything – to be transformed into the image of our dear Savior. We must yield to the work of the Spirit. We can’t stop with being opposed! (which is also easier, btw!) We must courageously move to the heart of the matter or we too have missed the point.
So to answer your initial question, I believe that there is not as much to show we are different as there should be. I believe the world will see we are different when we have encountered God, had significant spiritual transformation and it is LIVED OUT among them. They will see it in our marriages, in how we choose to treat one another, in the community that is the church, in relationships between the genders, in faithfulness, and joy and contentment and peace and love. And that will also translate into things like dressing modestly, giving, etc.
I totally agree that anything done externally should be something that comes from a change internally. If it is anything other than that it is merely smoke in mirrors.
But think of it this way, if we aren’t changing externally then I’d have to question that God is doing much in our lives internally. Maybe we then need a radical move toward God, maybe that is the thing we haven’t had yet.
I think Christians are more “of the culture” than “in the culture” which sets a dangerous precendent for future Christians. We are all going to die at some point and the only thing that Jesus is going to ask us when we get to heaven is, “did you love Me?” Not, “did you work 40 hours a week at the homeless shelter?;” “Did you go to church every Sunday?” He is simply going to ask did you love Me?
Until we start to mentor and disciple people in the ways of God, which is the pattern and precedent that He was stating in the verse you shared, we are not going to see people living the life of God in the culture. Instead, we allow humanistic patterns to form based on sentimentalism and cynicism towards the predefined structures of the church. But it is all there, black and white, in the Bible. Just a thought.
Tyler, what are some examples of what you mean? Like not drinking, or something we DO, not something we DONT DO?
I’d say that an example could be taking a Sabbath day, or attending Bible studies and small groups….things like this that take up our time, that connect us with God, and show the world that we are different. I’m not thinking so much of NOT doing something, as much as I am actually doing something.
Thats what I thought you meant. And I agree with you – we say one thing but rarely do our lives look like what we preach. I guess my point earlier was that it can’t be legalistic. I think I’m so afraid of this because of how I was raised and the church I was in until I was 27. But all they focused on was what we could not do, we were consumed by it! So I tend to be very quiet about those decisions in my own life. Maybe that’s not good, I don’t know.
I do think that Christians should MODEL what it means to live for Christ and that should be something physically evident. You’ve given me much to think about. I’m wondering what is showing in my own life……
It’s interesting that I know somebody who alters her topics when she talks to me just because she knows I belong to the worship team at church….so the topics can’t go beyond “did you play last weekend?”, “are you still going to that church”, etc…I think this is the problem with being pigeon holed as Christians…suddenly people have to pick safe topics when talking to you and you become one-dimensional person to them.
Not to say I’m right or wrong…and I’m very far from being a model for Christian living…but here’s another flip of the coin: At my previous job, we had a co-worker who one day (after a bad break up with his gf), became ‘born again’…and radically changed his ways, putting up bible verses at his cubicle, frowning at people when they go to the local McMinns to have a couple pints…excluding himself from all the lunch, dinner and happy hour invites…and went as far as drinking apple juice at his wedding because ‘champagne equals alcohol and alcohol equals sin’ attitude….it’s ironic because knowing from my coworkers comments, all his actions (while seemed very righteous and biblical) turned people at work off and gave them more reason to think that Christians are very judgmental and difficult to get along with. They freely shared this frustration to me, knowing that I go to church and serve…it’s a sad thing to witness.
Maybe bottom line is whether you do (or don’t do) certain things…see if that actually draws people closer or intrigued them to learn more about God or turn them away from Him?
Just my .02
jan made a good comment about being legalistic and outward actions. i think it is important to remember that going to a bible study doesn’t nec. distinguish you, it’s how you treat others, etc.
but here is something else to chew on- someone once told me that “religion is spelled d-o. and christ is spelled d-o-n-e.” are we, as believers in the most high living in the grace we’ve been already given? are living a life that presents jesus as our lover and king? i’m not a perfect person, and i don’t do all the “christian-ese things” and i don’t like the “church language,” but i do know that when i speak with my friends about my faith that may not share it- their response to me is much different that to someone who walks around claiming to go to church every sunday or bible studies or the mid-west concept of rallying up protests signs in front of abortion clinics.
i have a set of friends who i admire, and who i hope i can learn from. they have a game night every wednesday, they get together and play catchphrase or whatever…..and they’re home is so open and not everyone who comes is a christian, but b/c they live their life by extending their home in a simple way, they’ve seen some of their people (who come on wednesdays) give their lives to christ, decide to get baptized.
i think, tyler, you have to look beyond the societal view and you’ll see, the lovers of HIM are showing themselves different and still are in the world- regaurdless if they go to church or not, or go to a bible study. i don’t think you dug deep enough before asking this question. it’s there. and it’s growing.
I think Ash is wise beyond her years. Must be that one-year-older effect..*wink*
asians are smart, did you know that yonas? they excel at everything- including observation. ha ha
True.