Bella Vista Church of Christ
LIFELINES
October 17, 2001 Randall Caselman
Truth In Labeling
A group of concerned women met to discuss deceptive packaging, truth in labeling. A survey was taken during the meeting which revealed the following statistics: 15% of those present tinted their hair, 28% were wearing wigs, 80% were wearing rouge, 98% lipstick, 25% eye shadow, 22% false eyelashes, and 92% had on nail polish. BUT they were 100% against deceptive packaging!
It’s foolish to point out, in others, the very things that are present in our own lives. Introspection is what we need, not pointing out the faults of others, not labeling. Note some areas in which we can be deceptive.
Defending the Faith.
Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, be ready always to give an answer, make a defense, to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and reverence. I Peter 3.15. Defending the Christian Faith is called Apologetics. This is not just a term we apply to preachers, Bible scholars and college professors, but to every Christian individual. We must all come to the defense of God’s message. Perhaps the greatest defense of the Word is when we apply it to our lives daily. It is deceptive packaging when we demand truth from our pulpits, but will not apply that truth daily.
As evil and world godlessness increase, Christians are truly seeing themselves as aliens, exiles, sojourners here. Do we know the Word? Do we know what we believe and why we believe it? Are we ready to defend it by applying its principles to our daily walk? Saying that we are Christian, but not walking in the light is deceptive.
Conforming to the world.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. I John 2.15. Some of us have lost our distinction as Christian people. We are so in love with the world that we dress like the world, talk like the world, watch the same video, visit the same websites, read the same materials as the world. Right? Peter says we are called to be different...
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.1 Peter 2.9. Paul in Romans 12 cautions about allowing the world to press us into its mold. Children of God who allow themselves to be molded by the world are deceptive.
Demonstrating Love.
Jesus seemed to teach that some have just enough Christianity to make them miserable. Others have just enough to make them mean. They insist on the letter of the Law, while forgetting the weightier matters such as judgment, mercy and faith. They are blind guides which strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. Matthew 23.23-24. Scripture says, our God desires mercy not sacrifice.
Don’t you get tired of those who are always pointing out faults in others, shortcomings in the church and the brotherhood of believers? You want to ask, “Do you ever think of anything else?” They are never seen going about doing good: visiting the sick, taking food to a neighbor, phoning shut-ins, sharing Jesus, comforting or crying with a friend, etc. No, they are busy destroying the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.
I beg you to walk worthy of the vocation wherein you are called, with all lowliness and meekness with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unit of the Spirit and the bond of peace. Ephesians 4.1-3. Claiming Christianity without demonstrating love is indeed deceptive.
We are called by a new name.
When we wear this new name we must understand what Paul understood in Galatians 2.20, when he said,
It is no longer I, but Christ who lives in me. That, folk, is
Truth In Labeling!
RANDALL CASELMAN
