Monday, June 23, 2008

Just Be Christian

There are two unbiblical and unbalanced "forms of godliness although its power has been denied" that are deeply infecting the body of Christ. One is "picketing, boycotting, and lobbying" - which is nothing short of isolation (unbiblical separation) through the attempt to create a Christian sub-culture based on the power of carnal weapons and not the divinely powerful Word of God. This has the "appearance" or "form" of godliness - but it is not!

The other is on the opposite end of the spectrum - "engaging the culture" - which is nothing short of contamination (unbiblical participation) through the attempt to create a Christian culture based on the power of carnal methods of being like the world to win the world rather than the divinely powerful gospel. This also has an appearance or form of godliness - but it is not.

What the world needs is an authentic witness who has been genuinely changed by the gospel which is the power of God unto salvation.We are to have contact without contamination - a biblical separation without isolation - and as Vance Havner once said, "The world is not going to be changed by conferences on it or complaining about it or conformity to it but by being Christian within it!"

Listen to this three minute excerpt from Havner's sermon The Unfinished Work of Christ:

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