Words of Faith: Do’s and don’ts to living as the light through Christ

In the words of Bob Dylan, “…for the times, they are a’changin’.”

Here’s a question for you: Would you have imagined six months ago that the cultural debate today would be centered on bathroom battles?

Would you have guessed that HB2, passed by our neighbors to the north, would garner such strong opposition from businesses, not to mention rock stars who are canceling N.C. concerts? (Since when did we get our moral cues from rock stars, anyway?)

What about the upcoming presidential election? Both candidates have extremely high disapproval ratings. Did you ever think you would witness riots at political rallies – in America? Did you think there would be such outrage over killing a gorilla in order to save a boy’s life?

How can we live victoriously in such an increasingly dark world? All we have to do is look to Noah in Genesis 6. The people were violent and corrupt yet Noah lived righteously. How did he do it?

Here are several do’s and don’ts to living as the light of the world through Christ:

Do make sure you are a born again child of God. Noah was called righteous. That reflects his standing before God. If you are not saved, your future looks worse than your present. Anyone can be saved by trusting in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for your sins.

Do keep your life clean. Noah was blameless in the eyes of the people. He was not perfect – none of us are. Yet he was not engaged in the actions of the people of his day. Treat every person with the love and grace that Jesus has treated you.

Do walk with God. Let the events of the day cause you to run to Christ for wisdom and guidance. Pray more now because you must. Read the Bible more now because you need His instruction. Be intentional about building a relationship with someone who does not know Christ.

Don’t trust in politics. Government is not the answer. That is, in large part, how we got into this mess. We will not be able to legislate our way out of this. We must, however, be fully engaged in the political process.

Don’t trust in money. This is a huge temptation for us Americans. The economy is not the answer to all our problems. Tax hikes will not solve our difficulties, nor will tax cuts or pay increases. The issues we face are much deeper.

Don’t isolate yourself from the world. Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (John 20:21). Don’t play “prevent defense” to the culture. Instead, step out in faith and live as salt and light among the people as Jesus did. He is our only hope.

This story was originally published June 13, 2016 at 12:52 PM with the headline "Words of Faith: Do’s and don’ts to living as the light through Christ."