Teaching at the college and university level for the past nine years has been an interesting part of my spiritual journey for many reasons. I have seen college students fresh out of high school and away from home for their first year struggle with numerous temptations and sins – everything from sexual immorality to alcoholism and drugs. I have watched as younger, spiritually-ill prepared students became caught up into the gross religion of humanism while some, facing problems that are larger than themselves, turn to Christ.
A couple of weeks ago I was asked a question by a student in my night class as to why does it seem that Christians pass judgment on others who do not adhere to the “preferred” lifestyle. As I began asking questions in an attempt to find out how to best answer the student’s question, he added “after all, a real Christian is not supposed to judge others…” He continued explaining how a member of his family had become a Christian and no longer participated in the activities that had once made the bonds of brotherhood close. As he continued to explain his views on what Christian judgment actually means it became obviously clear that he was mistaking judgment and Christian separation.
During his earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus Christ taught that Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another (Mark 9:50). Taken with the teachings of the apostle Paul, 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 (Romans 12:2), we are to be different than the world. We are, in the words of the apostle Peter, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul (II Peter 2:11b). What the lost world fails to understand is that it is not that we judge them; we simply choose to honor God rather than participate in activities that we believe would not only damage our Christian testimony but would bring shame to the name of Christ.
Proverbs truly contains a lot of biblical wisdom. When Solomon wrote in the first chapter, If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse (Proverbs 1:11-14), it is as he looked forward in time and saw the power of peer pressure in today’s society. It seems that negative peer pressure is hard to withstand; all through Proverbs, the reader is reminded that those who choose not to follow after God always entice those that do to follow their plans and schemes. There’s a simple reason – if a follower of God does go along with the lost crowd and does the same things they do, it weakens the testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The lost see our acceptance and participation in fleshly activities as a sort of twisted endorsement of their actions.
When I was in graduate school I often heard the “oh, so you are too good to hang out with us…” and other jeers designed to pressure me to join the crowd of graduate students on their weekend activities. I often heard the complaints that I was being judgmental because I chose not to attend their parties and weekend activities. It couldn’t be farther from the truth; it was not out of judgment at all, but because I thought it more important to be able to present myself unblemished to God. In fact, the apostle Paul had the same mindset, as recorded in the book of Acts: And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men (Acts 24:15-16). It does not mean that Paul did not sin as a Christian but it does mean that Paul actively sought to avoid committing sin, participating in the appearance of sin, or falling to temptation.
While it is true that our lifestyles should reflect the values and will of our heavenly father, our lifestyles should also bear a quiet witness that God is a holy God. The life we live should indicate that we are different than the lost world. Our hearts should be broken when we do give in to the flesh and participate in activities that do not honor God. Our heart’s desire should be, as in the words of Paul, to be able to present ourselves as acceptable to God rather than to seek the approval of men.
