What does Christian existence 'look like'? That is a relevant question! Too often people are 'converted to Christ' with no accurate concept of what a life living for Christ 'looks like.' This problem does not deal with a 21st century need--it deals with an every century need.
Consider the first century gentile world [the world of the majority of people in the first century]. The only religions that many of those people knew were the religions of idolatry. Consider the religions of idolatry as contrasted to Christianity. The definition of what was moral differed. The definition of what was ethical differed. Values, standards, and priorities differed. The basic concepts of the nature and concerns of deity differed. The concepts of spirituality differed.
For example, in some forms of idolatry getting drunk was morally good. In some forms of idolatry, promiscuous sexual intercourse was morally good. In some forms of idolatry, deception, stealing, and the negative emotions surrounding anger were right.
The concept that people originally came from God and were originally made in God's image was a foreign concept to many. The meaning of that concept regarding the treatment of other humans was strange. The concept of being kind to enemies was ridiculous. Compassion, forgiveness, kindness, self-control, and gentleness were qualities of weakness. In the Roman world, a person sought power. To make things happen the way one desired for things to happen evidenced strength--so seek, gain, and exercise control!
Christianity was a 'new religion.' It was less than 100 years old throughout the first century. By contrast, many common forms of idolatry were hundreds of years old. Many of them were rooted in ancient religions. For those living in gentile societies, people knew what it 'looked like' to live a life devoted to the gods. They had little or no idea of what it 'looked like' to be led by Jesus Christ. To be baptized into Christ with no concept of how to live for Christ was spiritually disastrous. To be Christian by birth into Christ but idolatrous in lifestyle was a major contradiction! How were such persons to be blessed by God? How were unconverted people to realize the distinction between being Christ's disciple and living the lifestyle of the person who worshipped idols?
Before you become highly critical of first century persons who were baptized but continued the lifestyle of idol worshippers, consider the situation in our culture. Is there any difference in the way Christians dress and the way others dress? Talk in conversation? Have acceptable and unacceptable words in their vocabulary? Do Christians have affairs? Are Christians promiscuous? Do Christian lie or cheat? Do Christians get drunk or high? Do Christians abuse family members? Do Christians develop instability in their homes? Are Christians' actions governed by anger?
Is the primary difference between following Jesus Christ and living a life void of Christ's influence (1) baptism and (2) 'going to church' habits?
Two observations: (1) discipleship in Christ is a growth process; (2) growth is measured from your starting point, not someone else's starting point. Christians long have encouraged hypocrisy by seeking to establish a set of criteria or standards to measure faithfulness. All of us will be saved somewhere on our growth curve. What we do is important. Who we are in Christ Jesus is equally important. To God, repentance is extremely important.
Consider Paul's challenges and encouragement to the gentile Christians at Colosse regarding what it meant to be created in the image of Christ. Please note that there would be a visible change. This admonition was given to all who were resurrected in Christ. Under consideration are those who believe in Jesus' resurrection and have been baptized because they repented. (1) Seek the values of the enthroned Jesus Christ. (2) Focus thoughts on the standards of the resurrected Jesus who is with God. (3) Considering the redemption, atonement, and justification they received in Christ, this was a reasonable request. When God looked at them, He saw His perfect sacrifice, Jesus. Therefore, when Jesus returns, he will be unashamed to present them to God.
(4) There are some things that must not characterize the lives of men and women who have been resurrected with Jesus Christ--sexual immorality [in every form], anti-God behavior, violent emotions, and greed. (5) Such things represented the emotions and values of people who worshipped idols, not people who were resurrected with Christ. In fact, these things were characteristic of their lives before they knew Christ.
(6) Just as physical existence ceased when Jesus was raised from the dead, they were to desire the death of every deed, every emotion, and every desire that characterized their idolatrous lifestyle. It literally was a transition from one existence to another! It was a conscious abandoning of all qualities that characterized idolatrous existence--anger, wrath, contempt for people, and language that abused others. (7) They, instead, became compassionate people of honesty.
Why? Resurrection with Christ involved becoming an entirely different person. Resurrection in Christ meant for them, just as him, that they became a new self. This new self was created in the image of the one who made their new existence possible. That which governed their behavior as this new self were not feelings generated by ungodly, negative emotions, but a true knowledge that produced understanding rather than reactions.
This renewal in Christ [this beginning again] was not limited to a select few. It was available to anyone who had the courage to be resurrected with Christ. Christ was adequate for the renewal of anyone--regardless of their past.
Note: resurrection/renewal in Christ involves the responsibility to change. One must live like a person who belongs to the Jesus who was raised from the dead.
For Thought and Discussion
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 8