Christian Clubs vs. "Christian Clubs"

This is something that God has been teaching me about lately. Going to a public school part time has opened my eyes to many new things. One of those things is what the world calls "Christian Clubs."

Before I go too far, I want to define what I mean by the difference between Christian Clubs and "Christian Clubs":
Christian Clubs - getting together with a group of true Bible-believing Christians to admonish one another and study God's Word
"Christian Clubs" - a group of people that call themselves Christians that get together mainly to have fun, while they might truly be saved, they are not living their lives completely set-apart for Christ

At the moment you are probably thinking, "Ruby, the Bible doesn't say anything against having fun." I'm not saying that having some good old-fashioned fun is bad, but when it gets in the way of a group of believers admonishing one another and studying the Word together, it has taken the wrong place in your life.

Don't get me wrong...theses clubs are great, especially when they are done so openly in this wicked world. But it makes me sad when I go to one of these "Christian Clubs" and realize that not all of the people there are completely sold out for Christ.

After we are saved, God says that we are a new creature:

2 Corinthians 5:17

"Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:

old things are passed away;

behold, all things are become new."

 

If we are new creatures, don't you think we ought to get rid of the old habits of our sin nature and take on the habits and likeness of Christ?

 

There are many verses in the Bible that tell us to be set-apart from the evilness of this world.

Romans 12:1-2

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,

that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,

holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

And be not conformed to this world;

but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind;

that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,

and perfect will of God."

 

1 John 2:15-17

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh,

and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,

is not of the Father, but is of the world.

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof:

but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

 

In fact, in James 4:4 is says:

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?

whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."

 

So to be a friend of the world instead of living a set-apart life for Christ is to be an enemy of God!

 

I know in this world today, it is considered "uncool" to be a set-apart follower of Christ and we are more often than not called fanatics. But, isn't that the least that we could do for Jesus? After all, He did die for us! At any point He could've said, "Nope, this is too painful. Not going to do it." And just like that, He would've been back in Heaven with God the Father, but instead He allowed them to beat Him, spit on Him, and worst of all, nail Him to a cross to die.

 

As Christians, can't we at least stand up for our faith and live a true set-apart life for Christ?

 

(I did not mean in any way to offend anybody. This is something that the Lord has laid on my heart and something that I am very concerned about in our world today.)

 

~Ruby James