I have had some questions based on my last post, basically, how do we aspire to a ‘whiter than white’ life? We can’t!
I love to read the Old Testament and learn from history. Jesus tried to pack as much into his three-and-a-half-year ministry as possible, but we also have the history of the nation of Israel going back the previous two thousand years to learn from.
Do we need to be whiter than white? No! Take the example of King David. He was an adulterer, a murderer and much more, yet God said he was a man after his own heart. It is the heart and our faith that counts.
In a secular world, we may struggle to live the pure life we should, but what is our genuine, deepest heart’s desire? That is what counts. God knows our most profound thoughts and he also knows our deepest feelings. He knows what we need and we need to trust him for those things, but we also need to trust him that he will accept us, failings included.
There are times, however, when a little more is needed. Take the example of King Josiah. He was a good king, yet he was living in ignorance. It wasn’t until the high priest read the book of the law to him that he understood how far the nation had fallen, and he took steps which were unprecedented in the living memory of the population.
Awake Christians have had their eyes opened, just as Josiah had, and that means we need to take action. The actions Josiah took weren’t only of a spiritual nature, but also in the full knowledge of where the physical destiny of the nation lay if they followed their current path.
We also see where our nation is headed, and we should be mourning and shocked, just as Josiah was. Perhaps we are not in the position of influence that Josiah was, but there are things we can do to attempt to change the path our nation is on. Each of us needs to be on our knees asking God, what he wants us to do.
Our main responsibility, however, is according to the writings of Paul in 2 Corinthians 6 and verse 17, where he says ‘Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord’. We need to start tearing down the wordly altars in our own lives. Probably television would be a good start as it truly spouts evil into our very homes.
We need to start separating ourselves from the world and its ways. There are many ways to do this, and none of them will be easy, but to do nothing is to accept that either we are happy in the world or that nothing can be done. The latter denies the power of God and demonstrates our lack of faith.
We may not be successful, but that is not what matters. Josiah did not manage to change the course Judah was on. He was one of the greatest kings of Judah, but his son after him, was one of the most evil kings, sealing the doom of the nation.
This may also mean coming out from fellowship with an established Church as I was forced to do. It will most certainly, at some point, mean forging relationships with like-minded Christians who have the heart of God (See https://www.awakecommunities.co.uk). This will not be easy either, as our culture and our nation have pushed us away from others over the past 50-100 years. Sadly, the Church has followed this example and most Christians have little interactive relations outside of one hour on a Sunday.
Like Josiah, we need to read the book, and I am certain, that by doing this, we will begin to see how far we have fallen as a Church. Don’t worry about the world. The Church is our concern.