The other night I was working on correcting a little wireless snafu I created and overheard part of a Christian television program. Jack Hayford was a guest and said something so profound that I felt compelled to share. He said, "Jesus did not call the church to lift the standard of righteousness; Jesus called the church to live the standard of righteousness." We are not called to condemn, backbite, judge, or intimidate people. As believers, Jesus called us to be the salt of the earth:
Matthew 5:12-14: 12 "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 13 You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."
This really made me re-think and possibly challenge the way modern Christianity chooses to conduct itself. If we do not live our faith/standard of righteousness why would anyone even be interested in joining a body that is known for condemnation? Instead of allowing ourselves to be swept along the current of griping and fault finding, I challenge us all to rise above this behavior. Let us live the standard imposed by Jesus and be an example to the world. When we make this our testimony, we can represent our Lord in love and show people what it truly means to be a Christian.
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