On this week I was challenged with past decisions of
my own and the instructions I have given to others I mentored. I looked back at my life 13 years ago before
real salvation. I was in sexual immorality, full of pride and arrogance, rebellious,
clubbing, and partying. I was going to hell. When I got saved my first instructions
were to “Come out from among them”. It was advice I pasted on to those after me. For me it was a simple but hard decision to make;
it was either my relationship with people or taking time to focus on Christ.
The spirit of deception would tell me “Tiffany you
did not have to do all that.” I could even convince myself “My leader was just
trying to control me and mislead me”. I have received some bad advice, and I
myself have given some bad advice. When I tested the advice in accordance to
the word (1 John 4:1), I realized not all HARD advice was bad advice. We have to
be very careful with the spirit of offense. When we get offended we tend to
take EVERYTHING that person has done and said as something evil! The greatest
lesson my leader has ever taught me was how to live a life without compromise.
We are called to be separate from the world. On
the other hand, we are called to win the lost, to go into the ENTIRE world with
the gospel, and to be like Jesus. I hate to say “Be like Jesus” because this has
now become one of the greatest deceptions ever. The church has used this saying
to justify continual sin in their lives. Hebrews 4:15 tell us “for we do not
have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who
in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
Jesus sat and ate with sinners, He attended weddings and dinners with them. He washed the feet of his betrayer. He drew lines in the sand and
said those without sin cast the first stone. Afterward He told the adulterous woman “GO
& SIN NO MORE.” (John 8:1-11) Jesus
NEVER COMPROMISED who He was in midst of eating and hanging out with sinners.
Paul tells the church in 2 Corinthians 6:14 “Do
not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has
righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness”. He
goes on to say in 2 Corinthians 6:17 “Therefore come out from among them and be separate,
says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I
will receive you.”
How can we apply these scriptures to our everyday walk and still
be the light? What does the bible say about being the light to the lost? I want
to start with Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall
it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and
trampled underfoot by men.” First in order to be a light to anyone you
must be salt. You must be a change agent. The word goes on to say in Matthew 5:14-16 “You
are the light of the world. A city that
is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor
do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives
light to all who are in
the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may
see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Do we trust God and
His word? To the new believer or to the one that has “arrived” there are two
truths in the bible. We are called to be a light to the lost and we are called
to come out from among them. Sounds like a contradiction? Look at the room you
are in right now. Look
at the room light. Can you imagine the light on the floor? Would that light
serve its purpose to the room on the floor? Worst yet, if you take the light
bulb out of the electric source to put it on the floor would it even work? The light
in the room it is in “fellowship” with all the furniture in the room. The light
bulb is screwed into the source so it can shine. The light is also high enough
to be in fellowship but not compromise the “job” it has. The ceiling light is
high enough to produce light to the whole room. It changes the whole room when
it is on. Like the ceiling light we are called to be in fellowship with the unbeliever
to cause change. We are called to be the light to reach the lost without you character changing.
We are called to walk
in a way worthy of our calling and walk in humility. Do not be deceived into
compromise because others say “You think you are better than me”. “You forgot
where you come from” or the two I love “Judge ye not!” and “We all sin and fall
short of the glory of God”. Let me not forget one of the most misused words in
the English language “You’re in a cult”. The Holy Spirit is living
inside of you. The greatest thing we can do is trust in the Holy Spirit. Did
the Holy Spirit tell you to go? Did the Holy Spirit tell you be in company with
that person? Jesus Himself came to do the will of the Father. He did nothing of
His own accord but He only did what the Father told Him to do. (John 6:38, John 4:34, John 5:19)
So how can I do the
will of the Father, be set apart, come out from among them and be the light?
1.
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind so
that you can discern the will of the Father.
Romans 12:2 “Do not
be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that by
testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable
and perfect.”
2.
Be like Jesus for real. Be in the world but not
of the world! This is Jesus praying for His disciples.
John 17:15-18 “I
do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the
evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify
them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have
sent them into the world.”
3.
Be willing to count it all rubbish for the
Christ.
Philipians 3:8 “Yet
indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of
Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and
count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ”
4.
Be the LIGHT! We are called to be the light! This
light should bring about salvation. This light is in you to proclaim what Christ
has done. The best light shines bright so others can see!
1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the
praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”
1 Peter 2:11 (Living
before the World) “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from
fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among
the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your
good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
5.
Be a light and do the will of the Lord without
complaining!
Philippians 2:12-16 “Therefore, my
beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much
more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do
all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without
fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine
as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I
may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”
6.
Be sober-minded & watchful because the devil
hates that you are no longer serving him.
1 Peter 5:8 “Be
sober, be vigilant; because[a] your
adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
7.
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit in these
relationships. Ask yourself who is controlling the narrative?
Ephesians
4:29-30 “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for
necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And
do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption.”
8.
Stand firm in your new life and do not be entangled
with the yoke of bandage again. Do not go back into the bondage of religion or
sin. Stand on what the Lord has done in your life.
Gal 5:1 “Stand fast
therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled
again with a yoke of bondage.”
9.
Be humble. Give grace and mercy as you have been
given grace and mercy.
1 Peter 4:10 “As each
one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the
manifold grace of God.”
10.
Be humble and do not be ignorant of temptation either.
Luke 6:36 “Therefore
be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.”
1 Corinthians 10:12-13 “Therefore let him who
thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No
temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful,
who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the
temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
To my past mentors
I want to thank you for teaching me how to stand so that I can be a light. To
those who I have mentored, are mentoring and reading this blog I pray you
understand there is a cost to serving Christ. If you can be honest with
yourself and allow the word of God to prevail we all must take time to grow up.
There will be seasons in the beginning, in the middle and all the way to the end
when the Lord will say come out from among them. This call will require change
in relationships. This may even cause a change in ministries. This will cause
some natural lost but what a reward it is to be obedient to Christ. The Lord
will never have you in a relationship if it means you have to compromise. I
love when Paul said he became all things for all people and he still ran a race
not to be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:19-27)
I encourage you to
be light and be set apart. Win the lost to Christ without compromising. Be slow
to speak and quick to hear! Walk in truth with the Word of the Lord as your
guide. Lean not on your own understanding. Do not let offense cause you to miss
some of the greatest lessons in life. Be like Paul and discipline your body and
bring it into subjection of the Holy Spirit so
when you are done being the “light” you yourself will not be disqualified
because you compromised your salvation for friendships and relationships.
