What is the difference between a Christian who struggles with sin every day, and one who truly enjoys his Christian life? How can we really enjoy the Christian life, and not be so pulled by the sin that surrounds us in our schools, offices, and everyday life. For some, the answer is to give up the struggle and just join them. Go to church on Sunday and live a compromising life the rest of the week. After all, “if you can’t beat them join them.” Much of Christianity today is determined by some need to be as accepted by the world as possible. The problem is the constant conviction of sin, the hardening of the heart to sin, the question of 'how close is too close' etc. THERE IS, HOWEVER, A FAR EASIER, LESS FRUSTRATING WAY!
Just spend time with Jesus (John 15)! If you will learn a basic spiritual life of reading the Bible, worship and prayer everyday and taking a Sabbath Day to rest and be with God each week, it will amaze you how easy it becomes to live right. It really is easy to live right when you live with Him. Our walk in this world should not be a constant pressure on our will to live right. When your attention is on Him, there is a lot you just never see or hear.
Watch out for the new E3 emphasis!
There is much discussion in Christian leadership today about "engaging the Culture" of the world. I admit, I have never figured out the fascination some Christians seem to have with being accepted and loved by the world. Jesus and Paul were very clear. We will not be loved by the world nor should we love the world. We are not a sub-culture seeking acceptance by the majority. We are a counter-culture seeking to change the world! Radical Christianity is not engaging the culture of the world. The real radical Christians are those who chose to live like Christ in the middle of this world. The "ways" of this world come from satan, and we are no longer to conform to their pattern. We are citizens of heaven with an entire culture of our own. In 2 Chronicles 33:17 we see the people of Judah having a partial reformation. They insisted however on doing worship where and how they wanted, rather than where and how God had said. The "high places" were are part of their culture now. They wanted their culture, but just replaced their demon gods with the true God. It does not work like that!!!!! True confession of sin means that we agree with God that we are wrong and He is right, not just partially right.
