1 Peter 2:12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.”

How we live makes a difference. In yesterday’s message I talked about how most Christians today live no differently than their unbelieving neighbors, which actually tends to call their faith into doubt. In many places in the world – and now even in parts of America – Christians are accused of all sorts of things. The currently popular accusations in the US are homophobia, transphobia, and racism, with various other pejoratives thrown in for good measure. We should take all that as a badge of honor, actually, because as they say, it shows we are “over the target;” our words and actions are making them uncomfortable. People who are actively rebelling against God have every reason to be uncomfortable! However, we are not to speak and act for the purpose of making them uncomfortable. That would reduce us to their level. We are always to speak the truth in love, whatever the consequences. As this verse says, it is our lifestyle that will validate our words, as they will have to acknowledge when they are confronted by God. (That, incidentally, is what it means by “glorify God on the day He visits us.”) It’s hard to argue with a life well lived!

This is of course the way I need to live. Society in every country puts pressure on us to “go along to get along,” but that is seldom the way of righteousness. I’m not to be different, much less argumentative, just for the sake of being different, but I am to keep Jesus as my standard, and nothing less. I well remember once being in a bar with my employer and being chewed out by another patron because I was drinking a soft drink. He said my not drinking alcohol made him and other drinkers feel bad! I’d say that was his problem. In my over 42 years in this city I’d say I have a pretty solid reputation, and it’s not a bad one, for which I praise God. I have never felt attacked for being a Christian, other than some disapproval for declining to burn incense at Buddhist funerals, so I have had it much easier than many of my brothers and sisters around the world. However, that’s no reason to slough off in my living as a demonstration of the grace and love of God. I am to so live that the people around me will know more of God because of watching me.

Father, it’s an extremely high calling You’ve given us. Help me, help all of the believers here, not back off from that, but live boldly as Your children, demonstrating Your truth for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!