Friday, July 6, 2012

"Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles (AKA, the unbelievers): that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. ... For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: as free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God." I Peter 2:11, 12, 15, 16.

I read this little chunk of Bible the other day, and it really stuck out to me. It goes hand in hand with what Jesus taught in Matthew 5:16. To silence others' complaints against Christianity by actually being above their complaints. How can they call you a hypocrite if you're not actually acting that way? How can they call you hateful if you're only full of love? Etc, etc. There will be no truth behind their statements if you're living above it all.

"The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath." Proverbs 15:24.

Good is above evil. Take the high road, don't be afraid of coming across as prudish. It doesn't matter what others think. If their biggest problem with you is that you don't live dirty enough, I think you're doing pretty good. What matters is God's opinion. He has a standard for your life, it's your duty to at least try to live up to it. Be separate from evil. Cool? Cool.