Passing Through!

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4

Does the world seem upside down to you? Is it hard to recognize the country that you grow up in?  It seems that over the past 12 months, our world has been turned upside down. Riots and looting were      occurring in cities all across America. Even when arrest occurred,    prosecutors  choose not to prosecute in many cases. We had sections of cities under siege, and nothing was done to restore order.  Federal courthouses were set on fire, and statutes were vandalized throughout the country.

In addition, we have been bombarded with “wokeness” as it pertains to gender identity. We live in wicked times when a school teacher can be fired for refusing to use a student’s preferred pronoun.  Schools across the country are acquiescing to the demand that transgender students can use bathrooms and locker rooms of their declared       gender, not their biological gender.

The reality is that Christians should not be surprised. In the 60’s we experienced the sexual revolution and free love in this country. But,     it did not stop there. By the turn of the century, homosexuality  became the next “taboo” to be normalized, and in 2015 the Supreme court ruled 5-4 that states must allow same-sex marriages. But,   unfortunately, nothing seems to be out of the reach of the depraved heart.

So, what do we do, dear Christian? The same thing that every believer who has ever lived should do, obey Scripture. Before we get too self-righteous, let me remind you what the Apostle Paul told the church in Corinth;

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Since we were justified and positionally sanctified, we are called to live no longer for ourselves but for Christ. We are to be transformed and not conformed to this world. Christian, you are passing through this is not your home. The Bible describes us as sojourners (a person who resides temporarily in a place) and ambassadors. Not only is this life temporary, but we also have been called to proclaim the message of the King, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Stop and check yourself. Ask yourself why am I upset about what is happening. Are you upset because of the world’s lostness or because it disrupts your love for the things of this world?

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark