Worldly Chrisian?

What does the Bible say about the Christian's position in the world? Should we have lost friends? Should we listen to secular music or watch secular TV or read secular books? Should we steer clear of the world altogether or attempt to integrate Christian culture in to the world's culture?

The problem with many extreme views is that they are often developed as a reaction opposing another extreme. The separatist (totally separated from the world) and synthetic (blending with the world) approaches to the Christian life are a perfect example of this problem. Both ideas, when taken in context, are Biblical. However, when taken to the extreme they can become quite destructive to our spiritual lives. The Bible does call for us to be in the world. In fact, that has to happen in order for the great commission to take place. Jesus commissioned His followers to go and make disciples, not to stand still. Many sit in the church building waiting for the lost to come in out of sheer curiosity. No wonder the world is growing more secular. However, others spend their time integrating with the world attempting to prove to the lost that Christians can "have fun too!". They may have good intentions but often find themselves in compromising positions stumbling under the foot of the world's temptations. No wonder the world claims that Christians are hypocrites.

While praying for His disciples in John 17, Jesus acknowledged that they have been sent into the world but also exclaimed that they were not were not of the world. The disciples proved just that as the early church went in to the worlds and quickly spread throughout the Roman Empire. We read about these Christians reaching out to the lost, but as Paul's letters suggest, they stood by their convictions and condemned any compromise in holiness.

The problem with many Christians today is the lack of wisdom in decision making. They're either too black and white, shutting out any opportunities for witness, or they compromise because they have failed to guard their hearts in Christ. In summary, we as Christians must purposely go into the world as ambassadors for our Lord while seeking purity in all things knowing that if you walk in slippery places, you are sure to fall (2 Corinthians 5:20). This takes wisdom and that can only come when we truly and humbly seek the face of God in our daily choices and actions.

- Scott Hescht