Kingdom Values

Until the past few years, separation was a defining characteristic of Christ’s people. Being set apart was a clear command from God’s Word and a part of every Christian’s calling. Today, though, there seems to be very little distinction between churches and the world. This is tragic because God has set his people apart for his kingdom purposes, to be instruments of change and make a difference in the world.

A lot of churches today seek to appease the world. They compromise Christ’s gospel; and as a result, a lot of Christians allow themselves to conform to the world’s values rather than to those of Jesus.

This can’t make God happy. When the lost souls of this world face serious life crises and discover that their sources of hope are hollow, the Church is meant to embody the difference they are looking for. Our lives are to be distinguished by joy, peace, love, and giving. However, a lot of followers today have erased those distinctions by creeping toward a line of compromise and even crossing it at times. As a result, the lost and hurting see Christians’ lives as no different from their own.

Jesus addressed this when he said to his disciples, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (John 14:18-21, ESV).

He was saying, in essence, “The peace I offer isn’t received by the world. If Satan has no part in me, he can have no part in your lives, either.”

When God speaks of separating from the world, he doesn’t mean removing ourselves from it. The separation he desires takes place in the heart. It is reflected in our desires, our choices, our lifestyles. God is asking, “Is your heart still linked to the world in a way that excludes me? Or do you draw peace and self-worth from how I see you?”