To live for God in a godless world, we must stand on our convictions, regardless of the cost, and let’s face it, the cost can be high. We’re going to have to exercise courage, and that courage can only come from God.
If we’re going to live for God in a godless world, we’re going to need to be salt and light. God didn’t call us to become salt and light; he said that we are salt and light, and we are to trust him as he enables us to be who we truly are. That will require depending on God’s power because in our strength we will fail.
It’s only through his strength that we will be able to live in such a way that people notice we are different. We want to be a godly influence, so if we’re going to call our culture to a high standard, we must hold ourselves to an even higher standard. If we’re going to represent Jesus to those around us, they need to see Jesus in how we live. That can’t happen without God’s strength, so we need the habits of regular Bible study, prayer, and worship to stay connected to God’s love and strength.
There’s one more thing we need to know, one more quality we must exhibit if we’re going live for God in a godless world. We must be people of love.
The apostle John was one of the people closest to Jesus. John started and led several churches, and he also wrote a gospel, the book of Revelation, and three short letters.
By the time he wrote 1 John, he was an old man. Rome had crushed Jerusalem and destroyed the great temple. His friend Peter had been crucified, Paul had been beheaded, and John stood alone. He wrote a letter to the followers of Jesus, probably to Christians in the church at Ephesus, and most likely John intended for the letter to be read in other churches in the area. Here’s part of what John wrote:
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God… (1 John 4:7a)
John has a lot to say about love in this letter, and I believe that as he wrote those words, he was remembering a night some fifty years earlier.
On the night of his arrest, Jesus and his disciples were sharing the Passover meal, and Jesus said, “Hey guys, there’s one more commandment I want to give you.”
What was this commandment? It wasn’t, “You must have correct theology,” although a correct understanding of God and his word are vital. He didn’t say, “You must know the Bible backward and forward,” even though knowledge of the Bible is necessary and expected of his followers. He didn’t say, “You must attend church every Sunday,” even though fellowship with other believers in a local church is important.
He didn’t say any of those things, even though each of them is necessary. The sad truth is, lots of us have been hurt by people who had accurate theology, who knew the Bible, and who never missed church. I’ve had jobs in the church and the business world, and no atheist has hurt me as badly as some Christians have.
What Jesus said to his disciples that night was this:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13:34)
Wait, that’s a new commandment? Well, not exactly. This wasn’t the first time Jesus had talked about love. He had already said that the greatest commandment was to love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind. He even went so far as to say we should love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:34-40) and then went on to explain that our neighbor is every human being, no matter their background or what they’ve done.
Jesus had even said to love your enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). I want to stress just how radical this commandment is. You probably have people in your life who have hurt you deeply. It may be hard to even think about them without having feelings of anger or hatred or disgust. Jesus says that you are to love them. How is that even possible?
In our strength, it may not be possible. That’s when we must surrender to our Savior and allow him to live through us. Only through Christ’s strength can we love our enemies, and that’s just what he calls us to do. These are radical teachings about love.
So why, with these teachings already in place, did Jesus on the night of his arrest say this was a new command?
What was new is that Jesus was telling his disciples to love one another as he had loved his disciples. And how had Jesus loved them?
Jesus’s love for his disciples was completely selfless. His only desire was to give himself for them. He had loved them sacrificially, knowing that his love would eventually bring him pain and death. He was willing to give his life for them. That’s the kind of love that Jesus has for all of his disciples, including you. He loves you so much that he was willing to endure the pain and death of the cross to free you from the guilt of your sin. That’s how much Jesus loves you. And he calls you to have that same kind of love for others.
Then Jesus made this statement:
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)
The world won’t know that we are disciples of Jesus by seeing us carrying around John 3:16 signs. They won’t know we’re Christians by our “Honk if you love Jesus” bumper stickers. They won’t even know we’re Christians by our stand against immorality. People will recognize disciples by our love for one another, a selfless and sacrificial love that looks like Jesus’s love for us.
Do you want to live for God in a godless world? How’s your love life? Are you known primarily for your anger at how far our culture has fallen and at those who have caused it? Or are you known for your stand for God and your selfless, sacrificial love for others?
More next time…
I’ve heard others also say Christians have hurt them worse than non-Christians ever did; it’s sad but is also a reminder to stay on guard ourselves when we don’t agree with someone.