Do not conform to the pattern of this world. Romans 12:2
If a Christian can possibly be saved while conforming to this world, it must only be as if through the fire. Such a limited salvation should be dreaded more than desired. Reader, would you want to leave this world in the darkness of a depressing deathbed and enter heaven like a shipwrecked mariner climbing the rocks of his native country? If so, then be worldly. Run with the greedy, and refuse to go outside the camp bearing the disgrace Christ carried (Hebrews 13:13). But would you like to have a heaven below as well as above? Would you like to “have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:18–19)? Do you want to enter into the abundant joy of your Lord? Then “come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things” (2 Corinthians 6:17 NLT). Would you like a full assurance of faith? You cannot get that while you commune with sinners. Do you want to burn with an impassioned love? Your love will be dampened by the downpour of godless society. You cannot become a great Christian—you may be an infant in grace, but you never can become a perfect adult in Christ Jesus—while you yield yourself to the principles and modes of business of the people of the world. It is a bad thing for an heir of heaven to be close friends with the heirs of hell. It has a bad look when a member of the court is too intimate with his king’s enemies. Even small inconsistencies are dangerous: little thorns make great sores, little moths destroy fine clothing, and little frivolities and mischiefs will rob religion of a thousand joys. Professing Christian, when you have too little separation from sinners, you don’t even know what you lose by your conformity to the world. It cuts the tendons of your strength and makes you creep when you ought to run. For your own comfort’s sake, and for the sake of your growth in grace, if you are a Christian, be a Christian—and be a marked and distinct one. - C.H. Spurgeon Morning and Evening
I sit here this morning pondering many things.
We are on the precipice of the return of Jesus.
We are watching a world He created completing its rebellion against God.
We are seeing the enemies of God launch a more concerted effort to undermine the Church.
We are seeing Sodom and Gehmorrah on a global scale, and literally on steroids to boot. Inciting even worse atrocities against human beings than what lead the Lord to come down and destroy those two cities with the righteous rage and anger He displayed.
We are seeing most of humanity blindly accepting the lies of Satan as if it was the wisdom of God.
Within the professing Church, people claiming to be Christians are now the false prophets and teachers that the Bible warned us would be coming. People are not convicted of sin, they are often taught that sin isn't sin, that people who are living in sin are just different and should be embraced. That there should be no guilt in living life in a way opposite to Godly teaching. That it's not necessary to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation. That the Bible is a guide and nothing more. That it's only a historical document.
This world is rushing headlong into the judgment of God and is clueless as to why it is that way.
My Dear Reader, stop and realize that we are indeed living in that time that Jesus pointed the Disciples to in His answer to them about His return in the book of Luke.
I challenge you to go really evaluate yourself with the standard that is the Bible.
I challenge you to get real with yourself before God.
Stubborn refusal to let go of sin only brings the eventual judgment of God.
Millions of people per hour fall into Hell. As they enter into the torment of it only then realize that it is no bad dream. Only then do they realize they cannot stop it. Only then do they realize the futility of the life they lived. Satan cares not about any of them that show up in Hell. He's never been there. He never will be there. Satan's judgment in the near future is to be bound up in chains and thrown into the bottomless pit for a thousand years. After that he must be released for a time to deceive the nations once more then he is sentenced to the Lake of Fire.
He deceives the world today. He always has an AntiChrist ready to step in when Jesus would be told its time for the Rapture of the Church.
The Bible is clear in saying friendship with the world is enmity with God.
You cannot embrace any aspect of the evil in the world, even and especially, in the realm of entertainment. You cannot joke around concerning dark things that underscore evil. Nobody in Hell is laughing. Can you imagine the horror of thinking you lived a good life, a part from Christ, and in an instant death reaches out and snags you, only for you to open your eyes in torment?
The Father's business is a deadly serious matter. Life and death are nothing to joke about. There was no laughter or mirth found in Heaven when Jesus was beaten, abused, and nailed to the cross. There wasn't likely a sound in Heaven for the three days He was in the heart of the Earth. But there was no keeping silent as He lead captive a host of captives to Heaven to forever be with Him. Heaven erupted in joy. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords returned triumphant. Satan's laughter was turned to rage. He didn't stop anything concerning what the Bible said would happen.
Are you seeing it yet? Life isn't about you living for you. For those yet still alive right now who are in Christ, we eagerly await our Savior’s Call. We await that trumpet sound that spells out our homecoming and the beginning of the final judgment of God upon this world.
We don't have time to waste in being about the Father's business. We don't have time to waste in living life for ourselves and we certainly don't have time to live life embracing sin.
If your life is filled looking only for self satisfaction then you have missed the reason you are alive today.
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