The purpose of Biblical Christianity, that is discipleship, isn’t for you to group together with other Christians all the time, but to go into the world.
As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. (John 17:18 ESV)
Interesting conversation: a friend had been feeling guilty for being a Christ follower whose friends “sin.” In fact, my friend was debating how to best “leave” his pre-Christian friends. The conversation started with, “I know that the pastor says we have to leave the old life behind, the friends we had before we became Christians, so we can live a new life in Christ, but I don’t want to.” My response was simple: then why abandon them?
Lots of us have had this debate in our heads or hearts. We feel the need or pressure to leave behind our pre-Christian friends and absolutely we should not, unless they were really bad news and influencing us to be self-destruxtive. Some of us have even gotten into the habit of only befriending church people because we believe it’s more Christian of us. While being friends with church people isn’t a bad thing in itself, it is definitely not why you live and have breath.
“You are sent into the world,” Jesus says in John 17:18. Your purpose is to be in this world like Jesus was in this world– to be the love of God for people who would have otherwise never experienced it. Your faith and friendship with Jesus is destined to change more than your life alone. You are sent in this world to work and live for that purpose. Be aware that you are sent intentionally.
No responses yet