Shouldn’t We Be Different?

 

Today’s Passage –1 Kings 22 

(Second Milers also read – Luke 5 – 6; Proverbs 25; Psalms 121 – 125

 

“And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramothgilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.” (1 Kings 22:4)

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” (2 Corinthians 6:17)

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15)

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

In this passage of Scripture we can see a picture of one of the big problems afflicting so many Christians today –  we are as they are. In our text today we find King Jehoshaphat of Judah in fellowship and solidarity with King Ahab of Israel. The trouble with this was that Ahab was a very worldly and wicked king. Jehoshaphat was a good man who loved the Lord, and he had no business fellowshipping with Ahab, let alone yoking up with him to do battle against another nation:

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” (Ephesians 5:11)

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)

Christians today have the same problem. We are just like the world around us. We are no different – we are as they are. Shouldn’t there be a difference between us and the lost people that surround us, and shouldn’t that difference be clearly visible in our actions and appearance? Please don’t misunderstand. I am not suggesting that we should be unfriendly, and I am not a proponent of isolation. On the contrary, I believe that we should be “in the world”, but just not “of the world”. We have to rub shoulders with the world in order to shine our light before them and communicate the gospel to them, but we do not have to become like them in order to reach them. As the children’s song says, “If you’re saved and you know it, then your life should surely show it”. Your life, your words, your relationships; everything about you should reveal that you are not like you used to be before you trusted Christ, and you are not like the rest of the world.


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Camille Stahl
Camille Stahl
10 years ago

Great Blog! I enjoyed hearing it live (that’s the advantage of being at the school early). Such convictions in many areas of my life that I’m am vowing to change. Thanks Preacher for loving your sheep. Love You

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