God has spiritual standards for His children. These standards should set us apart from the sinful world in which we find ourselves at the present. We are to respect and honor the Lord, be honest in our all dealings, not to be brawlers, to conduct ourselves in a manners that befits our station as a child of God, and not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together.
2 Corinthians 5:20 "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,"
The dictionary meaning of an ambassador is this: "An envoy of highest rank, sent to a foreign country; an intermediary, a messenger."
This is our rank in this world, we are ambassadors for Christ. What a responsibility we have been given! We have the rank of a child of the Most High God, sent into this world, which is not our home with the message of salvation from our Heavenly Father! How are you doing with this task. If we live like the world, talk like the world and walk the way of the world, they will not listen to anything we have to say...because what we would say would be contrary to how we live. What a dishonorable ambassador we would be for God.
Titus 2:13 & 14 "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."
We are to be a "peculiar people", we are to stand out from the world as different. If we are representing the Lord in the right way, people will think we are foolish.
1 Corinthians 3:19 "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God."
1 Corinthians 1:25 "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men: and the weakness of God is stronger than men."
This verse is not saying that God is foolish and weak, it's making a comparison. IF God were foolish He would still be wiser than any man, and IF God were weak, He would still be stronger than any man. The world thinks that anything that has to do with God is foolish, therefore as His ambassadors we will be thought of as peculiar and foolish. However what the world thinks should not detour us in our duty to raise a standard for the Lord in our lives, homes, churches and communities.
Jeremiah 51:27 "Set ye up a standard in the land,"
A Standard was an ensign that was carried into battle, proclaiming to all where you allegiance was placed. It was also referred to as "A Royal Banner." It represented Royalty. God has a standards for His children. Yes, these standards will make us seem peculiar and foolish to people...but remember, we are not of this world, our standards come from our Heavenly Father. Lets look at a few of these standards that should be evident in our lives as believers.
Jeremiah 6:16 "Thus saith the LORD, stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls."
Jeremiah 7:23 "But this thing commanded I them saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you."
The old paths are the good paths. Now a days people always think that they have to find new ways to do things. God never changes. His message is the same as it has always been. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. What He expected in the past He still expects today. God's ways don't change, and we should not set out to change them. He still expects us to obey, honor, worship and put Him first above all else in our lives. Don't go changing the old ways, God won't be pleased! Keep the standard of the old ways, you will be thought foolish!
1 Samuel 12:24 "Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth, with all your heart: for consider how great things He hath done for you."
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."
God is TRUTH, His Word is TRUTH...don't go changing the truth of God! Revelation 22:18 & 19 warns about adding to or taking away from the Truth of God's Holy Word! How arrogant can people be to think that they know better than God what He is saying! Keep the standard of His Holy Word, you will be thought foolish!
Matthew 5:34 & 35 "But I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: nor by the earth; for it is His footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King."
Can the world tell you are different by your speech? Our talk should not resemble the unsaved around us. I've noticed more and more lately, that Christians are not just taking the Lord's name in vain and thinking nothing of it, but they are using language that just isn't right for a Christian to use. We should not laugh at off colored jokes, or join in with ridiculing or gossiping about others. Keep the standard of Heavenly speech, you will be thought foolish!
Mark 12:30 & 31 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."
The love we have for our Lord should consume us. When we are loving the Lord with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength, His love will overflow from us to our neighbors. In this self-centered, selfish world, a love like this will be noticeable. This is a world of hate, envy and lust, true Godly love will seem out of place. Are your actions showing the love of Christ? Keep the standard of Godly love, you will be thought foolish!
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."
Have you presented your body as a living sacrifice to God? The verse says, that it's our reasonable service...to be an ambassador that brings honor to our King, whom we are representing, we better make sure that we are not conformed to this world. Are we holding the standard of God high in this wicked world? We have a job to do while we remain on this earth, lets make sure that with the Lord's help we are being an ambassador that He can be pleased with. Hold God's standard high and keep on for Him.
There's a royal banner given for display
To the soldiers of the King;
As an ensign fair we lift it up today,
While as ransomed ones we sing.
Though the foe may rage and gather as the flood,
Let the standard be displayed;
And beneath its folds, as soldiers of the Lord,
For the truth be not dismayed.
Over land and sea, wherever man may dwell,
Make the glorious tidings known;
Of the crimson banner now the story tell,
While the Lord shall claim His own!
When the glory dawn 'tis drawing very near,
It is hastening day by day;
Then before our King the foe shall disappear,
And the cross the world shall sway!
Marching on, marching on,
For Christ count everything but loss!
And to crown Him King, toil and sing,
Neath the banner of the cross!
Daniel W. Whittle
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