We predicted this 30 years ago, we were saying that because divorce was so rampant at that time, it won't be long before people are not bothering to marry, but will only live together.
We saw this coming because good sense shows us the next step. There didn't seem to be any shame over divorce and remarriage, as well as nearly total extended family acceptance of it. We were even chastised and excluded emotionally as family for not attending the wedding of divorced people or for even saying why we could not support it.
I say "excluded emotionally" because I was always invited but ignored, as though they felt obligated because I was family, but they really didn't want to engage with me in conversation. Perhaps because they knew our views were nearly opposite about everything.
Now here we are, the extended family is accepting shacking up, while calling their partner their "fiance", as though that makes it legitimate.
Now, believers dating non-believers seems normal and less sinful, if someone is not shacking up.
Why do believers who claim to be "Bible Believing", ignore all the warnings about believers being emotionally and spiritually connected to unbelievers?
2 Corinthians 6:14-15 "14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?"
2 Corinthians 6:16-18 "…16 What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” 17 “Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 18 And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”…"
Anyone who fanatically (intense enthusiasm and devotion to an ideal), warns a brother or sister in the Lord not to engage in dating non-believers, we are seen as the bad or mean ones. They will be labeled, while invited to family gatherings out of obligation completely being ignored. We are invited so we can see them ignoring us, a punishment of sorts for showing concern for someone with Words from God.
If you have ever been to one of these gatherings you know what it looks like. Many believers I have met as well as myself, have endured this form of dislike. Those who claim to be believers but walk superficially closely tied to and defending the world's ways, cannot stand the presence of one who wants to answer all questions according to the Bible.
These gatherings spout the same mantra's time after time, "Just love them", as though loving them means accepting everything they do that mocks God, just to make them like us. It is not as though believers walking around spouting the truth all the time, we generally wait until it confronts us and then we answer it. We warn once and hope someone heard us. Then as we are continually mocked for our one statement of truth, we withdraw and carry on without encouragement or kindness toward us.
It is always interesting to me when the truth teller is yelled at, that "we should love them", while no love or concern for us is expressed. Does it not seem as though a person who "loves" would not pick and choose who they treat respectfully, but would treat all in their presence with respect.
The love of Christ warns of sin so that the believer may redirect their path to begin again to follow Christ, this is God's kind of love.
Not only is the believer treated with disrespect, they are accused of not respecting others for their honesty and Biblical views.
We have a choice, we can follow Christ, desiring to please Him, or we can follow the clique in our families or churches and become popular because we ignore God's principles.
We live in a world that thinks as long as we "say" we are Bible Believers, we actually are, but the reality is that if we do not stand firm for the principles of God, while treating them like they are suggestions that might be better but are not necessary, then we are in disobedience and rebellion.
1 Samuel 5:21-23 "…21"But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal." 22Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. 23"For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king."…"
It is idolatry to treat God's principles as optional, why? Because when we choose not to obey them out of rebellion toward Him, then "ourselves" are the idol. We place ourselves above God whenever we choose our own way over God's way.
And, yes, it is rebellion to take a scripture out of context to make it say what we want it to say, to justify our sin.
This has been a common experience of my life and the lives of many others who have wanted to deeply adhere to God's principles. Our heart desires truth more than popularity, so we speak it when in conversation, all other views in the conversation that are not godly are accepted, but the one view that focuses on Christ is the one that is not accepted.
I trust the leading of the Holy Spirit in these matters, if we hear the Lord telling us to "come out from among them", we should obey that. He does not want us to continually battle those who will not listen, especially if they claim Christianity.
Matthew 10:13-15 "…13 If the home is worthy, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.…'
We have a choice as believers, we can live for Christ or we can give it all up to be popular. I am here to tell you that the "popular" life is an emptiness, intolerable egg shell walking life, it will never satisfy those who love Christ. And, you will never be popular if you are a fanatic for Christ. If everything you do, think and say is about Him, then you will be continually rejected. They will reject you before they know you because of the Holy Spirit in you that convicts them of sin.
John 16:8-9 "8 And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because they do not believe in Me;…"
If they cannot see a reason for their dislike of you, they will make one up.
Do you want to continually battle depression and meaninglessness, you will if you choose the life of "popularity" with unbelievers or superficial believers. Sadly many people go this route and never find peace.
Yes, it is not easy enduring the mocking and hatred of the world, but for those who have endured it to follow Christ have greater joy and peace alone with Him than they could ever know in those superficial and meaningless cliques that appear so happy. They are not happy, the people in them are in constant fear of saying or doing the thing that will make them unpopular.
When we lose our fear of man to follow Christ we walk in victory, never worried about someone's reaction to us. We seek Christ and obey Him, then we are continually at peace no matter what anyone else does to us.
1 John 2:15-16 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.…"
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