Are we not in Christ??

“Jesus sees a beauty in his church, a beauty which he delights in most when it is not marred by worldliness. He has always been most near and precious to his saints when they have cheerfully taken up his cross and followed him without the camp. His Spirit is grieved when they mingle themselves among the people and learn their ways. No great and lasting revival of religion can be granted us till the professed lovers of Jesus prove their affection by coming out from an ungodly world, being separated, and touching not the unclean thing. For he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.” -Charles H. Spurgeon

America in this day and age can make it rather hard to be a Christian. The church since the sexual revolution in the late 60’s has been back and forth as to where it is supposed to stand in a culture that embraces immorality in every area of life. From cartoons for children to ads at a sports game, tolerance of wickedness can be found everywhere. Violence is to the point where teenagers find nothing wrong with beating a defenseless peer mercilessly on camera and posting it on You Tube to become famous. My point is not that we should be surprised that the wicked are wicked. My point is that as tolerance for immorality grows in our culture, so it seems to grow in the church.

In the name of getting people to come to church services, we’ve watered down the gospel to be a “glorified” self-help psychology. We have tried so hard to make the church “relevant” that we’ve compromised the message of Christ. We shouldn’t judge people based on their sin or faults, but we shouldn’t tolerate them either. Our duty as believers is not only to separate ourselves from the wicked practices of the world, but also to be intolerant of wicked things so that we can instruct people in the righteousness of Christ. We must be a people who are seen by the world as beacons of light. As beacons of righteousness and justice because Christ is, and we are in Him. For we are not of this world, instead we have overcome because he overcame.

Jesus does indeed see beauty in His church. He delights in us most when we are not steeped in worldliness. Why? Jesus loves righteousness, and hates wickedness. Most of us including myself, love righteousness but tolerate wickedness. Friends this ought not be so. We live in a place where we love those things He loves, but we the church in this nation, do not have the same inner violence He has toward wickedness. He is going to judge all of creation based on deed. Those who are found in Him will live. Those who lived in wickedness and refused Him will burn in the Lake of Fire forever. His wrath toward sin is fierce, and it burns forever punishing the wicked. We have overcome the World if we are those with faith in Christ.

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the World. And this is the victory that has overcome the world- our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the son of God.” – I John 5:3-5

Consecration means to be set apart, to be dedicated to God solely and nothing else. Consecration is not for “radical believers” or “radical Christianity”. Those phrases confuse things. As if there are Christians who are called to be more dedicated then others. Consecration is just as important for those 40 year olds working 9-5 jobs with 6 kids as it is the 21 year old intercessory missionary at IHOP. Consecration isn’t for the holy elite, it’s not a week long fast; it’s the very reality of who we are in Christ. In Christ we have overcome the world. We have been set apart from the world and its false pleasures. We are hidden in the deity of the man who spoke pleasure into existence. In His life we now have life. If we love Him and have faith in Him, we keep His commandments- for they are good. His commandments are not restrictions to make life hard, but pathways to enjoy the life the living God has given us. They are guides that say,
“this is the right way to go.”

If you are saved you are consecrated, and we are to act as so. We are no longer slaves to sin, we are dead to sin. In the same way Christ died and was raised from the dead, so we have died to sin and are now alive in Christ Jesus. Why then would we want to, or consciously remain tolerant of that which we have died to? Instead should we not be a people that have spiritual violence toward sin. Refusing to view it in media. Refusing to listen to it in music. Refusing to tolerate it habitually in our lives. As the world grows in tolerance of immorality. Should we not be beacons of light to our human brethren so as to say, “Friends, there is a better way.” Not condemning them as hopeless, not judging their sin in measurement to our “righteousness”. Instead showing them the freedom we have in the blood of Christ. Let us be always consecrated, always beacons of light and truth. Not self-righteous, or striving for some sort of unattainable piety so as to look like religious hypocrites. Instead let us be known as a people resting in a grace not our own. Let us be a people seen empowered by a strength not our own. Let us be like Paul and boast in our weakness so our lives can be a testimony of His love and ability. That’s the church we are called to be.

Let us prove the affections we claim for our God by coming out from the dross of this ungodly world, and letting the power of the cross complete its work in us. Let our lives be a lighthouse of His glory.