Getting out of the Christianity Enterprise

Yesterday I talked about American Christianity becoming an enterprise. How do we get back to the church as a true fellowship lived out in the early church?

Perhaps part of the answer lies in Romans 12:2 – “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

I heard a statistic yesterday that stated 90% of the Christians in America live just like their unbelieving neighbors. There is no difference in their hobbies, their TV viewing habits, their lifestyles. They are completely conformed to the ways of this world.

Yet Scripture clearly states that we should leave the ways of this world to the worldly. That instead, we should be looking to the Holy Spirit, and being transformed by the renewing of our mind.

What would that look like? Ephesians 4:22-23 may give us some help, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

This might not be the easiest to understand, sometimes Paul isn’t, but it does seem clear that we can’t live like we did before coming to faith, and we can’t live like those with no faith. Yet in America, the statistics suggest that 90% are living like they did. Their faith has made no difference in how they live.

Perhaps the way to find true fellowship in our churches again is to renew our minds daily in the Word of God, to be transformed into the image of God, to strive to righteousness and holiness, and to completely leave our old selves behind.

Comments are welcome…