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?
