When Paul wrote to the church of Ephesus, he reminded them not to walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk. Their understanding was darkened due to their hardness of heart. It's a simple reminder that people who do not know the Lord live accordingly. However, we on the other hand should live quite differently. Our understanding is not darkened but enlightened. Our hearts are not hardened but are wide open to the Lord to reveal Himself. If we constantly focus upon the world living as we do, then we need to ensure that we are providing a lifestyle worth emulating.
The idea of legislating morality to the rest of the world is very Pharisaical in nature. It provides a platform for works righteousness. It also creates a community of Law givers & Law keepers. The flip side of that means that there is also a group of Law breakers. And Law breakers must be dealt with accordingly.
What if there is a better way? What if Jesus didn't provide a new standard of holiness but simply a better way of life? A life that is not invested in rule keeping but a life empowered by His Spirit. A life that is not ruled by our emotions (or our flesh) but a life that is governed by the awareness of Him. That's the beauty of our inclusion. We are the righteousness of God in Christ. We don't point people to the letter of the Law but to the indwelling reality of Him in us. His love, His peace, His joy, and His holiness is already a part of our lives. As we live in this reality, we are inviting people to know the Lord in their own lives as well. We change our focus from trying to get the world to live as we do and place our focus upon Him in us. This means that our way of discipleship changes as well. Rather than trying to place an outward standard on people's lives, we help them to see the reality of Christ within them.
The emphasis of the Bible is on how the people of faith live their lives. In the days of the Old Testament, the Hebrew people realized that other nations did not have their understanding of God. When they entered these nations, they were reminded to carry their standards. In the New Testament we see this same application. We don't walk as the rest of the world but we invite them to walk with us. As their minds are enlightened to this new and living way, and as their hearts are opened to the Lord, then we can expect to see a dramatic change. This is the Holy Spirit's work in our lives. Our lives becomes the parchment where the living God writes His story. We are a testimony of His love, His goodness, and His uniqueness (which is another way of describing holiness).
We are not teaching a New Old Covenant. Our standard is not performance based. The greatest work we can do is to renew our minds in the truth of who He is, who He is in us, and who we are in Him; enjoying the transformation that comes from His indwelling life. We are not Law keepers or Law makers. We are the manifest Sons of God in the Earth. We are what the creation longs to see. As we grow in this reality, not only are we continually being set free from all things that are not Him, we are releasing the rest of creation to do the same. We don't need to legalism to keep us in check, and we don't need liberalism to expand our definitions. Instead, we allow the Holy Spirit to dictate into our lives so that we continually become all that we were created to be.
With all of that being said, the church still has plenty to do. All of the social issues that the church quickly tries to legislate are just as prevalent within our walls. New laws will not fix the problem. A people walking in their identity will.
Think about this: If the life and ministry of Jesus could create such a longing in the lives of the broken, the destitute, and the outcasts; what can our lives do? As we learn to live in our mirror image (we behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord), people see His reflection in us. Then He becomes the agent of change within their lives and within our communities. As we learn to deepen the Koinonia of the church, people are invited into a shared life of everything that is in Him. We are His masterpiece - His symphony within the Earth. As living epistles we give the rest of the world a glimpse into the goodness of our Father. They read of Him, see Him, and experience Him through us. They know His love because we love. They encounter His joy because the joy of the Lord is our strength. They feel His peace because His peace is so real in us. What if the church became a Tsunami of His glory throughout the Earth and people simply get caught in the wave? That, to me, sounds like the Acts church. Sweeping transformation. Revival within nations. People being changed from glory to glory.
This is not a political movement but it will change politics.
This is not social justice but it will enact changes within our society.
This is not about creating new laws but it will raise a standard within all of our lives.
This is a move of living epistles allowing His story to unfold in their lives. People will be touched. Lives will be changed. And the knowledge of the Lord will increase in the land. On Earth as it is in Heaven.
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