We’ll face it then. Nobody lives their life without having to face things from time to time.”
–Louis L’Amour (Hondo)
“My heart is in turmoil and cannot rest; Days of affliction confront me.”
–Job 30:27 (NKJV)
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How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World
Key Verse: “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” –1 John 5:19 (NASB)
Know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we are to be righteous in the evil world. Those in the world need to see the light even though they may fight against it. Know also that we are to have fellowship and communion with God as we travel through the world. One more thing that is essential; we are to have fullness of joy. If for no other reason it will make our enemies scratch their heads.
To have true fellowship with God; to have a true relationship with Him we must have righteousness. If we are to be God’s companion we must walk a righteous life; we must walk as He walked. Since we are children of God we are to be righteous. Everyone who is born of God doeth righteousness.
“If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him. See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.”
–1 John 2:29-3:1 (NASB)
Notice, as children of God we are to practice righteousness. This in not merely morality or living right, but righteous means the quality, the kind of life that was lived by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Will we be perfect? Never in the sense that Jesus was, but that does not mean that we cannot live a life for Him. It should bring shame to us when we look at those in the world and see some living a more righteous life than the child of God.
They may look at us strangely when we don’t do the things they do, go the places they go, say the things they say. We are children of the Most High. We have a certain position and a certain relationship that people of the world cannot understand. We have a blood relationship to God and a legal relationship with Him—He is our parent. We truly can sing, “I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God…”
A child is like his parent. He has similar characteristics and personality. To look at a child a person can see the parent in them whether it be attributes or actions. There is another important aspect a child has—they carry the name of the parents, hence the name Christian–”Christ-like.” We are not of the world, we are of our Father. Our manner of living should not be the same as those in the world.