Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. (1 Peter 2:11–12, NIV 1984).
My Musings – As Christians, we need to do better. I know that I do. The culture is definitely at “war against [our] soul,” and many believers have battle fatigue to such an extent that they have grafted the culture’s values into their Biblical beliefs. Such that their “good lives” are less and less distinguishable from the “pagans.“
But we are a called-out people. “Not because of righteous things we [have] done, but because of His mercy.” (Titus 3:5, NIV 1984). Not because we “live such good lives,” but because of His grace. This mercy and grace should be changing us. Transforming us. So much so that, “though they accuse [us] of doing wrong,” they “will never find any basis for charges against [us] unless it has something to do with the law of [our] God.” (Daniel 6:5, NIV 1984).
This may not win us very many friends, or cause men to “glorify God [now].” Just the opposite. “All men will hate [us] because of me [Jesus].” (Luke 21:16–17, NIV 1984). “They will [even] put some of [us] to death.” (Luke 21:16, NIV 1984). But some day, our good deeds, our Christ-like lifestyle, will cause them to “glorify God on the day he visits us.” Our prayer for as many of them as possible should be that they do so before that day. Before it is too late.
My Advice – “Therefore, my dear brothers [and sisters], stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58, NIV 1984). Even if it costs us the ultimate sacrifice. Afterall, that is what it cost Jesus.
The Brew Is A Musing 