"It's hard to stay clean when you live in a Pigpen"

As I get older, I find myself reflecting on things involving my children at a young age. I remember my wife & I always got frustrated when we got them dressed to go to church & by the time we finished getting dressed, they were "tore up from the floor up!". As adults living in this sin-sick world, we often pick up some its dirt because it's hard talking, acting, & living like a child of God under these difficult conditions. The majority of the people we encounter on a daily basis don't view this world as we Christians do. Let's face it, for us, the world has become a spiritual pigpen & it's hard to stay clean when you live in a pigpen!

Yet, Christians have experienced this problem from the beginning; that's why we have to read our instructional manual on living...the Bible. The Word tells us not to become unequally yoked w/unbelievers. Certain things are just fundamentally incompatible (oil/water don't mix). This principle applies to Christians/non-Christians. That's why Paul says in 2 Cor. 5:17, "If anyone is in Christ He is a new creation, the old has gone and the new has come". God knows that association brings on assimilation which is why He has called us out to be set apart from the world. This means that we are to separate ourselves from the evil desires, motives & behaviors of the past so that we can spend time with Him, serve Him & do His will.

Christians are the light of the world, the salt of the earth & as ambassadors for Christ we've been given the job of influencing the world for Him. Herein lies our dilemma; in our mission to lead others to Christ, we run the risk of being so close to the world that we become just like it! But we can't have a positive impact on non-believers if we adapt their habits, language & appearance. The old adage says, if you hang around sick people long enough, you'll catch what they've got! In other words, we can't walk with God & run with the devil at the same time! Because if we play w/fire long enough, we will get burned! So we must continually do the things which lead to a life of holiness, i.e., repent of our sins, reverence God & spend more time with our Bros/Sis in Christ.

Finally, since we are commanded to share the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we must learn to master the art of making contact with the world without being contaminated by it. Just as when you work with hazardous waste materials you must wear protective clothing, Christians must wear protective clothing too (the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation & the sword of the spirit). Although we've been given a tough job, we can do it and stay clean in the process. All we need to do is read & listen to God's instructions; this can be accomplished by being consistent in our attendance at church, Sunday School & Bible Study, so that our swords will stay sharpened. And by helping one another,
God will help us to stay clean!