In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11
It’s a rather sobering thought to realize that the world judges God by what they see of Him in the lives of His children—in my life. So, we look at our lives, and recognize that instead of mirroring His love, justice, character, and peace, we often project a somewhat distorted picture of God, one fogged over by our human failure. “Not good enough!” cries our incriminating conscience. Then in failure we feel like turning away.
Yes, we know the world should not judge God by what they see in our imperfect lives. We would like to shout, “Don’t look at me! I’m just human! Look beyond me and see the living God who raised His Son from the dead!” But we really don’t have that opportunity.
C.S. Lewis used to contend that a Christian should never be judged by what his or her life is, but rather, how it would have been if the person had never come to Christ. He’s right, but the fact remains, we either make the world want what we’ve got or give them a good reason to walk away thinking, “Hey, if that’s Christianity, why bother!” As the salt of the earth, it can only follow that our lives should make people thirst for the living God.
When Paul wrote to Titus, he instructed that slaves were to be subject to their masters. They were to strive to please them, not talk back to them. They were to be honest, not steal from them, proving they could be fully trusted “so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive” (Titus 2:9).
OK, there is a question which makes it rather personal: Why does so little of God’s true nature come out through my life? Why do I manage to mess things up so others see little difference between my life and that of a non-Christian who makes no pretense of having encountered this living God who created our world?
Paul answers that same question. Following the comments he made about making the teaching about God our Savior attractive to unbelievers, he says that the grace of God teaches us to say “no” to ungodliness and worldly passion, and to live “self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:12).
A news story told how a farm manager in Russia took over and promised workers salaries almost four times what they had been making, provided they promised not to steal from their employer. Some refused to do so, thereby candidly acknowledging they were stealing more than four times the amount of their salary.
Honesty, integrity, keeping your word, doing what you say you will do, being punctual, working eight hours for eight hours of pay: that’s all part of what makes your faith look authentic in the eyes of a skeptical world.
God will invade your life to the degree that you open your heart and say, “Lord, take control!” Jesus said that no man can serve two masters, and when we seek to be master of our lives, living according to the dictates of our emotions, then calling on God only when we’re in deep trouble, the world isn’t much impressed. They do the same thing.
When a little boy was knocked down by an angry crowd in a subway, a businessman stopped, picked up his backpack, helped the little guy to his feet, brushed off the dust and dirt. Surprised, the little boy looked up into his face, and he asked, “Hey, is you Jesus?” That’s the message that comes through spontaneously when you do His deeds. The world will always judge God by what they see of Him in our lives. So, Jesus wants to be in control, not simply to be a fireman who delivers you in the time of disaster, or a pilot who takes you through the storm, but as a friend who walks with you, and who makes a difference in the world through your life.
Resource reading: Romans 6:11-14
