Identity

Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. [2 Corinthians 6.17]

As I consider the powerless condition of the Church (I speak mostly for the Western Church), it remains a question as to what it is that holds us in this powerless state.

It seems to me that the Church "identifies" with Christ, but the condition of the Church says otherwise.

This reminds me of the sexual chaos the world is experiencing right now where a male or female human can "identify" as the opposite of their clear natural biological gender. In a world where "science" is touted as supreme, isn't this trend ironic?

But, back to the Church... All the "identifying" in the world does not make one a Christian. Repentance followed by faith in Christ is the only way one can be changed.

"Change" is the keyword here. It matters not what one says about his life. What matters is does his life look and act like what he says it is? If a person claims to be a Christian, he should naturally look and act like Jesus.

To look and act like Christ means that one does not look and act like the world.

See where I am going with this?

The Bible is very clear that we are "on mission" to the world. However, we are never to conform to the world (not even for the sake of accomplishing our "mission" to it).

The question arises then, how much of the world is ingrained in what we call Christianity? And, what do we do about it?

Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. [2 Corinthians 6.17]

Father, help us to see that as long as we look and act like the world, we are NOT Christian - no matter how we identify ourselves.