The lifestyle of the Christian is so critical, but it has sadly become neglected in the American church. The Bible tells us that we are set apart from the rest of the world. The Bible tells us that we have the Light of the World inside of us (John 8:12). How will unbelievers know you have the Light of the World inside of you when you blend in with the rest of the world? Is there an obvious difference between your life and the life of an unbeliever? Do you talk the same way unbelievers talk? Do you act the same way unbelievers act? Do you watch or listen to things that are clearly unholy?
The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT), “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”. The moment one truly gets born again, you become a new creation, your life is no longer the same. Now don’t get me wrong, there is a process of growth that is ongoing during the life of a believer. But let me say this, it is not possible to have a genuine encounter with God and remain unchanged. Why is it that it has become the norm in evangelism for people to get asked to pray a prayer and still months later remain unchanged at all? That is because it is possible to have an encounter with American evangelism and remain the same. American evangelism is built on sinking sand, any preacher can get up and give a 20 minute Ted Talk with a Bible verse on how God has a wonderful plan for your life, and mention nothing at all about why you need a Savior and expect you to repeat some prayer.
The problem with the modern church today is no one wants the full move of the Holy Spirit. People love when the Holy Spirit shows up and someone gets healed or someone gives a prophetic word, but no one anymore wants the Holy Spirit to move in the arena of conviction. Let me be clear, I believe in all the Gifts of the Spirit have continued and are available to all believers today. However, so many people have gotten caught up in one aspect of the Holy Spirit, and have neglected the rest of the work of the Holy Spirit. It is time that we yield to the full work of the Holy Spirit which includes signs and wonders, and at the same time includes conviction of sin and the redemptive work in a believer’s life where they will begin to walk in holiness.
Being genuinely filled with the Holy Spirit will not only empower you with the supernatural Gifts of the Spirit, but you will also have an overflow of the Fruits of the Spirit in your life. When one is truly filled with the Spirit they will have a deep hunger for the Word of God, and a desire to grow in holiness. Being filled with the Spirit will also empower you with boldness to stand firm for the truth, just like the Apostles spoke with boldness in Acts 4:31.
1 Peter 1:15-16 (NLT) tells us, “But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy”. This verse doesn’t say the believer should be holy, it says you must be holy. We can only achieve holiness in our lives because of what Jesus Christ has done, and through fully yielding to the Holy Spirit. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit and yield to the Holy Spirit we will love the things God loves, and we will also hate the things God hates. God hates murder, therefore we should hate abortion. God hates drunkenness, therefore we should be sober and vigilant. God’s Word tells us to put our mind on things that are above and of good report, therefore we should not get caught up in all of the worldliness of the age.
It is time that we fully surrender to God’s plans and purposes rather than what satisfies our emotions or what is the norm of today’s culture. When people look at our lives they should be able to tell there is something supernatural in our lives that makes it possible to walk the way we walk, and that will point the unbeliever to the Savior they desperately need.