Living Like an Alien

In our column “Living Like an Alien” we said: “The other day my wife and I were talking about all the churches we’ve known that have gone through major transitions or splits, and I realized that almost every one of the problems these churches faced relates back to the age-old conflict of how Christians handle being in the world but not of the world. So many disagreements among believers come down to this issue. The Bible clearly tells us that as redeemed children of God, we will be different from the rest of humanity—‘aliens and strangers in this world,’ as 1 Peter 2:11 says. But the question of just how different we become is a gray area for Christians, and gives rise to many disagreements.”

 

I agree: Striking a balance is important. We need to be relevant enough to the culture that they hear our message, but not so similar that our message is no longer distinctive.

 

There are some splits that are probably ordained of God. Look at Paul and Barnabas. They split an evangelistic team and what happened? There were two teams.
Harry

 

Just because Paul and Barnabas split into two teams does not mean it was God’s will. He is good at taking what the enemy meant for evil and turning it into something for our good. He is the great redeemer. God desires unity. That is where the blessing takes place (see Ps. 133). People are too quick to excuse their attitudes and God's mercy as His proof of His will, when it only proves that He is a merciful and patient God. I have rarely seen a church split as a good thing. It is filled with sinful behavior, gossip and rebellion. I am a firm believer in God's grace, but let us not use His grace as a means to justify our (or others’) sinful and willful behavior.
Brenda

 

 

Television shows, especially reality shows, are edited for the highest entertainment value. I'm afraid nothing good can come out of a show like this.

 

Christians were once fed to lions for entertainment. Looks like we still are.