Pressure increases daily for the Christian to adapt to and agree with the world. Even Christian leaders encourage us not to be different, not to be negative, and not to judge. We are pressured to stay away from the controversial. Common phrases such as "doctrine divides" and "separation is negative" charge as radical those who practice Biblical righteousness in teaching and in living. The cry, "legalism," is hurled at those who would uphold the standards of God's righteousness.
Today, many evangelical Christians think that the believer has, under the guise of Christian liberty, license to do whatever is pleasing and convenient. God's instruction about our liberty in Christ is "use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh." It is sad that those who claim to believe the Bible reject its standards of holiness. I suppose that the desire to justify sinful behavior should not surprise us. Jesus said, "But wisdom is justified of all her children." Sexual impurity in thought or deed, the use of alcohol, and worldly amusement have always been sinful but are common practices of this world. In contrast, God commands the believer to "be not conformed to this world."
There is to be a visible distinction between the blood bought sinner and the sinner still under condemnation. Christ "gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." When a person is saved, "he is a new creature." We have been delivered from the power of darkness and translated "into the kingdom of His dear Son." The Christ honoring believer is one who seeks to fulfil the admonition "Be ye holy, for I am holy." We must maintain a witness to the world without seeking acceptance by the world. James instructs us that "whosever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." The greatest way to love people is to have a testimony of righteousness so they can see Christ in us and then accept our witness.
How the world laughs at the professing Christian whose life evidences ungodly living! The hypocritical lives of some of the fallen TV preachers should awaken us to see that conformity to the world is destructive to the cause of Christ. God's charge to us is, "And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed." Dear friend, this sin infested, self destructing world desperately needs to see an accurate display of the righteousness of God. They can only see it through you and me.