Sermon Central
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Christian's Standard For Living
Contributed by Joel Santos on Oct 22, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: Christians now a days are subjects to many standards of this world, standards that often put a Christian into a compromising stage. But what standard should a Christian follows? How should he respond to many rules in this world?
Christians now a days are subjects to many standards of this world, standards that often put a Christian into a compromising stage. But what standard should a Christian follows? How should he respond to many rules in this world? If the law of man tolerates but the laws of God forbid. Shall a Christian obey the law of man since it is also written in the Bible that we should obey the government for it is of God. A Christian faces a great dilemma in regards to this matter.
Let us study the word of God and find out what we do if we encounter this kind of problem.
Christians should follow the standards of God.
I. Christians should completely abhor the STANDARD OF THIS WORLD (v.3)
A. Followers of God should get away of old life
"You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you live." (v.3a)
-This verse clearly commands the people of God to avoid the sinful life that the people in the land of Egypt lived out.
-In the old days Egpt symbolizes idolatry, lust, power, pride, immoralities, and many other things that a modern world can offer.
-There are things in our past as an unbelievers which are not supposed to do now that we came to know the Lord. Things that are abominable to the eyes of God. The Lord said that you shall not walk according to their rules.
-In the NT, the Apostle Paul commanded the Christians in Ephesus: "That if, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." (4:22-24)
B. Followers of God should get away of the modern life
"...nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you." (v.3b)
-If there are things that should be avoided in the past, there are also things that should be avoided in the present world that we are into. These are the things that may be controlling the present world. Canaan is said to be the Land flowing with milk and honey which means that even in a nearly perfect environment there can be deception, lies, and others. There are things that may appear good but in the standard of God it is not.
-The Lord Jesus Christ once said in the book of Matthew 10:16 "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."
-In the present world, there are rules that are legal to government but not to God; such as gambling, same sex marriage, etc. Though they are legal to our government, Christians should abhor these things because it is forbidden in the teachings and principles of Christ.
II. Christians should carefully obey the STANDARD OF HIS WORD (V.4)
A. Followers of God should keep His judgment
"You are to perform my judgments..." (v.4a)
-Christians were commanded by the Lord to perform the judgments of God.
-The synonyms of the word judgment are: ruling, decision, finding, verdict, sentence, conclusion, result, opinion.
-This clearly indicates the things that we should perform as Christians in our rules of life and decision-making. In a simple word, we should think like God in terms of Judgment between good and evil.
-The NT also supports this kind of idea in 1 Cor. 2:16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord, that He should instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ."
-If Christian have the mind of God then it is clear that they can perform the judgment of God in terms of deciding between good and evil.
B. Followers of God should keep His statute
"...and keep His statutes.." (v.4b)
-Christians were commanded by the Lord to keep His appointed, custom, manner, ordinance, statute. There are manners or ordinances that Christians should follow.
-In the land of Egypt the people commits grave that are not lawful in the eyes of God such as incest, adultery, sex with animals, human sacrifices, etc. (Lev. 18). As followers of God there are manners and ordinances of this world that we should not do because God has made a distinction between His followers and His enemies; He has made distinctions between the Egptians and the Hebrews, so as followers of God we have an obligation to keep His statutes.
-How do we know His statutes? We should read His written Word or listen to the Holy Spirit that we may know how to judge in whatever circumstances that we are in to.
