Optional Obedience

If God says to do something or NOT do something, do I have an excuse to disobey if other people disobey?

For example: If a fellow Christian doesn't treat me in a loving way is this an excuse to disobey Jesus' command to "love one another as I have loved you"?

If a spouse is unfaithful does this mean the victimized spouse is free to break their marital vows too, engaging in romantic or sexual relations outside of their marriage covenant, ignoring Jesus' command "do not commit adultery"?

If a co-worker acts arrogantly and self-serving does this give the Christian license to disobey the command to "clothe yourselves with humility, serving one another out of love"?

I think we as Christ-followers have been approaching our obedience to God from a very worldly/non-christian perspective. The reason why is obvious... doing it the way God says to is not always easy, comfortable, pleasant, or pleasurable. In fact, sometimes it's just plain hard and uncomfortable, but something to remember is this: Our comfort zone is usually within the parameters of what we (man) can do, so we'll experience ordinary, natural, man-sized lives/works/experiences. On the other hand when we step outside the comfort zone, outside the parameters of what we (man) can do for ourselves, but instead step out into the unknown, the place beyond us and our abilities it is there that we experience the extra-ordinary, the super-natural, God-sized lives/experiences/works.

Have we lost sight of the fact that only God can change people and if we're really going to see people changed then we've got to release God into the situation. This is done by praying and obeying. It's done when we handle the situation and behave in the way that Jesus says to. Our disobedience simply closes the door to us being used by God and everyone involved experiencing what God wants in that situation.

Only through our obedience, especially in the hard situations, will we be used by God, see God do amazing things, and experience Gods blessing in our lives.

Sacred or Secular

Among churched folk (and those who were once unchurched, but have spent enough time around churched folk) there is a tendency to separate the sacred from the secular. In other words to look at a thing, experience, activity, or whatever and judge it (right or wrong, for better or for worse) by some inward standard whether it is holy or evil, right or wrong, good or bad, God or the devil.

The problem, and thus the error, we often fall into is our standards are flawed by three major blinders 1) Our prejudices, 2) Our preferences, and 3) Our limitedness (falability). There is a fourth, our Pride, but that is a whole other subject of which all 3 of these fall into.

So, let point some things out and then give some real life examples.

1. God made everything! The days, nights, stars, animals, people, and every detail of these things. Though these and many other things of God's creation are abused by misuse, idolatry, perversion, and so on does not negate the good, necessity, and God-ordained purpose & practice of these things.

2. God did also declare a standard of right and wrong, of how these creations were meant to operate, function, and be used, and he declares in the book of Isaiah, "Woe to the ones who call right wrong and wrong right!"

Example: Sex! Does God decalre a standard of what is right or wrong concerning the function/experience of sex? Yes! Is there misuse, abuse, and perversion of this God designed function/experience? Yes! Does the misuse, abuse, and perversion negate, invalidate, or make it wrong or evil? No!

You see, the misuse, abuse, and perversion is wrong, and perhaps you could say evil, but the proper use/application of this God created function/experience is not only good or great, it's beautiful, right, holy, and of God (a blessing from him and is blessed by him).

Here is the problem. We tend to focus in on surface issues and judge the whole. We'll focus in on a specific abuse of sexuality say, homosexuality, or child molestation, or premarital sex, or adultery and turn around and have a negative view/attitude toward all sex. We act as though sex is wrong and have a huge distaste for the subject. In some areas we even question how a person could be a Christian and practice such foul behavior.

You can apply this to so many broad subjects such as Alcohol, Sex, Entertainment, Holidays, Music, Technology, and so on.

But here is where I want to see transformation.

Instead of looking at the negative and finding the worst in something, instead of giving the devil and sin glory by preaching how bad something is or how disgusting and wrong something is, let's focus on the God side.

For example: Halloween. Here is a holiday that has been perverted by many people throughout the years, yet it started out as a "Christian Religion" holiday and has more roots in Christianity than the Christmas and Easter holidays.

Many Christains view Halloween as the "Devils day" and as a bad thing. It certainly can be argued that it has been perverted and come to that, but in all truth, whose day is it really? Who made October 31? God did! Do you think he made it for the devils glory? Do you think we as Christains should declare that day as the "devils day" or declare it as "God's Day"?

Sacred or Secular... as a Christian is there suppossed to be a difference in our life? Is there suppossed to be certain things in our life that are sacred (Godly, holy, right, and good) and other things in our life that are secular (ungodly, impure, wrong, and bad/evil)? The answer is simple. No!

See, sacred is who you are not what you do. And because it's WHO you are it changes WHAT you do into being sacred. As a Christ follower you want to do everything in word and deed for the Glory of Jesus (Colossians 3:17) . In other words, live a sacred lifestyle so that everything you do is sacred (pleasing to the Lord).

Sex now becomes a sacred experience because you're approaching it from God's perspective and according to God's Standard. The same is true for eating, speaking, music, food, holidays, you name it.

Am I saying that you're turning evil things into good or calling good evil? Like saying that something God calls wrong (gluttony) is now right and okay? Not at all! What I'm saying is that we are now going to approach and handle that area of our life according to God's Standard and enjoy the sacred side of food & eating without the abuse, misuse, and perversion (which is what gluttony is).

You can't take something that is blatently wrong by Gods standard and call it right (such as premarital sex), but you can stop and look at the original God intended purpose and function of that thing (sex within marriage between a man and a woman)and rejoice in and practice it properly. In doing this you are not only communicating the gospel, but you are demonstrating the life God want us to experience, and you are reclaiming/redeeming what rightfully belongs to God and his kingdom, but was stolen by the devil. Sex, music, food, drink, language, technology, holidays, you name it, none of it belongs to the devil! It all belongs to God and should be used and experienced to his Glory and Pleasure.

Most of our "Sacred Vs. Secular" arguments are shallow and based on prejudices, preferences, and ignorance (limited understanding on the matter). Like Rock Music Vs. Classical style. We argue one style is sacred and the other secular (one holy and the other unholy), but God created music, period! All music belongs to him. Yes, there is abuse, misuse, and perversion of music out there, in all styles, but it doesn't mean we just condemn all music made in that style, and we certainly should not condemn it just because it's not a style to our liking.

God made everything and the things that God inspired man to "create" were moments that man was imitating our Heavenly Father, but when we took God's creation or the God-inspired creations of man and perverted, abused, and misused them, that is what made them secular, before that they were all sacred.

See, the same lightbulb used in the church building, the same electrical outlet in the church building, the same toilet paper in the church building they are all the same ones used in the strip club. Is the church using secular lightbulbs, electrical outlets, and toilet paper? Or do they order special holy & blessed bulbs, outlets, and toilet paper? Or is the strip club using sacred bulbs, outlets, and toilet paper? No! The sacred or secular is all in the proper or improper application.

My grandma used to say two sayings, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water." and "Don't throw out the whole bushel, just because of a few bad apples."

How long will we quickly judge and condemn a God-created activity/experience, labeling it secular, and loose out on the sacred robbing ourselves of the life God intended us to experience?

How many ways, in how many areas, have we cut ourselves short by a false relgious standard created out of a mans ignorance, prejudice, or preference instead of Gods Word?

When will we say, "enough is enough, I'm not going to allow the devil to steal from me all God created and has for me!"? Whether he steals it through literal perversion, misuse, or abuse, or whether he steals by way of a distorted false religious standard based out of mans ignorance, prejudice, and preference.

Is your life sacred or secular? Is it full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? Is it in line with the truth of Gods Word? Are you approaching life narrowmindedly with relgious (but unbiblical) standards and perspectives of holiness, righteousness, and spirituality?

Jesus said, I came to give you life and life to the full! It is written that all things have been made pure through the blood of Jesus and that we are to do everything to the glory of God!

I think many of us will be surprised to find out that God doesn't carry our perspective, preference, or prejudice toward a good many things in our world.

Let's get back to His Word and do things his way!