Live Such Lives

Live Such Lives

The apostle Peter writes,
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 
Dear friends,
 I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.’ 
                                                                                         1 Peter 2:9-12.

“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” Words to live by.
As I write this there is a county clerk in the United States refusing to give marriage licences to same sex couples. She claims it is wrong under Gods law.
I admire the woman for standing up for her beliefs. But she is in a government position where she must deal with people of every faith and lifestyle.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.  
Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”
                                                                    Romans 13:1,2.
Paul wrote it during the reign of the emperor Nero, one of the worst persecutors of Christians in history. a tough time to be a Christian
This woman as much as she stood up for her beliefs has brought judgement on herself. And while she has her supporters. The court of public opinion seems to have passed judgement on her. A very unfavorable judgement.
What she and many Christians forget especially it seems in the Untied States where a persons rights is a big thing, is that others, of other faiths and lifestyles in a secular democracy such as the United States, have legal rights also.
If Christians or for that matter anyone has strong views or beliefs that go against the laws of the government they perhaps should not consider a position in public service.
The Apostle Paul wrote something that all Christians living within secular democracies in the west should remember. He wrote,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 
                                                                                            1 Corinthians 5:12,13
It’s a very simple statement saying don’t judge those outside the church, don’t judge non-Christians,  instead keep the church clean by expelling those doing wrong in the name of Jesus from the church.
Sadly especially within the so called evangelical church there are those quick to point out the sins of the world but will not stand up and expel those who teach wrong in the name of Jesus.
They demand their rights be recognized, while not recognizing that they might be restricting the rights of others.
I look at the New Testament and I cannot see anywhere where Jesus or his apostles ever went against the secular Roman government of their day.
True they, Jews, spoke against Jewish religious leaders of their day. But at that time Christianity was still a sect of Judaism and thus they were speaking against those within their faith in line with what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 5:12,13)
I think it’s time for Christians here in North America to look at ourselves carefully. We need to ask ourselves, as well as to pray and ask God,
Are we leading such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us?
Please thing about it.