Called To Live Differently: Counter Culture Lifestyle In A Dark Society

He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,

2 Timothy 1:9 NIV

Jesus has changed the world. The God who came, has come. We face a daunting task of carrying the gospel to the world. But in his power we can do just that.

We've been called to a holy life in Christ Jesus. We're called to live in holiness. We're called to be different. What does it mean to be holy?

To be holy means to live well. It means to serve others, and live with a selfless attitude. This attitude of course does not come all at once, it takes years and years of growth in the Christian life. But over the long term it can be done.

We need to challenge ourselves in this area. How can I be more like Jesus? We've got faith down pretty well, but we're slacking on the holiness side.

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. -2 Corinthians 7:1 ESV

The two biggest pressure points, where the rubber meets the road are: sex and money. Anyone can claim to be a follower of Jesus. But look at how they use their God-given sexual desires, look at how they use their money, and you'll know very shortly if they are truly a follower of the way.

Having casual sex with friends and strangers isn't a game. It isn't harmless. In fact it's quite destructive. It looks like simple pleasure, but hidden beneath the surface is a cost immaterial, heavy, dark, insidious. Much like many of the tender chocolates of the delicacies of this world.

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18 ESV

There is so much more to life. But sex has become the center, the penultimate. It's the obsession, driven by the media, for the sake of profit. Such a system leaves young people desolate, broken, poured out. So much sorrow flows from sexual acting out... internal brokenness, aborted babies, emotional disturbances, codependency, and of course the spread of disease. But my generation wanted to have fun, and it ain't so fun anymore.

Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. -Hebrews 13:4 ESV

We were once in the high noon of the sexual revolution, today we find ourselves in the grizzly morning after. We're hung over, left alone in an empty room at the rising sun, wishing we could forget and trying so hard to hide from the shame of what we've become.

It reminds me of a Smashing Pumpkin song called "Tonight, Tonight" in which the words are written: Time is never time at all, you can never ever leave, without leaving a piece of you.

It's the same way with life I'm certain, every lost friend, every broken relationship, and every one night stand leaves a part of you behind, marked eternally in history, a part of your soul you can never, ever recover. It's true.

Is that frightful, or oddly beautiful? Perhaps a bit of both. Inevitably we do leave ourselves behind along the trail of life. We're strewn out about the trail, year after year, poured out for ourselves, or another.

The song continues. "And our lives are forever changed. We'll never be the same. The more you change the less you feel."

Greater is he who conquers himself, than he who can conquer a city (Proverb 16:32). Have you conquered yourself? Or are you slave to your own urges? In the world out there, we find ourselves bombarded by imagery, sound, all sorts of magic. So often in the bombardment we find ourselves naked, succumbing to desires that can never be truly fulfilled. They are bottomless pits, always demanding more.

And again, "Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control." (Proverb 25:28).

In ancient times the only possible way to defend a city was by building a wall around it. A city without walls was open to being pillaged and sacked by enemies at any moment. How similar it is for someone who has dropped their defenses in regard to sex. Or in regard to alcohol. Or spending. Or drugs. Or just about anything else!

Now about money. Money is not the root of all evil. The love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. As Americans we were raised on this mentality. Money is what you need. Get money and you can then use money to get everything you need or want. Is that really true? Can money really bring me everything I want? Of course not. In fact the richest of our society are often the most disturbed, drug addicted, and lost. Think of how Robin Williams hung himself in his closet. Think of the myriads of celebrities who "had it all" who killed themselves or overdosed on drugs. Just to name a few: Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston, Heath Ledger, Chris Farley, Kurt Cobain, Keith Moon, Jack Kerouac, Marilyn Monroe, Sigmund Freud, and David Waymer.