Leter to My church family (part 3)

This is the third part of a four part letter that I have wirtten to my church family. This idea came out of my study of the book of Philippians.

So, the joy of loving you as been the fact that many of you are walking intimately with God and staying true to His desires for your lives. When I pray over you and serve God together with you I have seen many of the qualities that God desires and it has been a joy to see you add more of Jesus to your lives. The call to put on more of Jesus, as I have said earlier, has been a great blessing becasue you all continue to do that. But like I have already stated, taking off the sin and life of this world is much harder. Many of you have put much on and the fruit of the Spirit is evident in all. But putting off much of this world and its distractions and desires is another matter. I desire much more from you and so does God, so the next few words I say are hard to say but they are a call from God, a plead from God, to be a holy people, separate and different than the world.

So, there are many things that I find we are like the world. We are called to be a people that are separate and different from the world. This means that we as a church must view marriage and divorce different than the world. It is a sad day when the church as a whole is worse in marriage than the world. Marriage is a sacred covenant between one man and one women and as God designed in in Genesis, is a covenant that last for the life of the person. Marriage is not something that God says we can give up on or cut the cord in if things go bad. Marriage is a faithful covenant that is made between one persons and is a choice that must always be chosen in love. If we view marriage and act in marriage just like the rest of the world we are no different and not living lives of holiness and obedience to God and His word. Marriage is sacred and must be treated so not something that can be put to the side if we feel like giving up or not working at. Our view on marriage and history on marriage must change.

Another area that I find us looking too much like the world, is our mouths. Our tongue can be used for love or as a weapon. When we talk like the world with our attitude or words it does not honor God. When we talk in judgement or with venom to one another, we are talking like the world. When we gossip, slander, or saying lies about each other, we are just like and sometimes even worse than the sinful world. God calls us to use our mouths first to honor Him and to glorify Jesus with our speech. Then God calls us to use our tongues to say sweet, kind, and loving words to each other in the faith family. Finally God calls us to use our lips to get the Gospel and news of Jesus out into the world. When we use our tongues instead to talk bad, say unkind words, or speak like the world, we are sinning and hurting our Savior. WE are called to use our words and tongues for love not sin. 

I know these words are hard to read and hear. These words are hard to swallow and tough to hear but God knows, to be a lover of Jesus is a tough life to live. Being a follower of the Way requires and calls for a life that reflects that way. It is vital and eternally critical that we live lives that are different than those around us living in sin. We are called to be a holy people that are chosen by God. The Christian life is a life that is different and a life that is called to put off the world and its way. So I pray and plead with you now to put on Jesus and put off the world.