The scripture says “anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT). Before you came to Christ, you lived according to the customs of the world. Your thought life, your words, and your actions were based on what you learned through socialisation. This old life died when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Your life now is a new one. The problem is although you are a new person, your environment hasn’t changed, some people you used to play with in your old life haven’t changed. In summary, the world isn’t getting any better so you are living as a new person in an old dirty world.
And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Mark 13:13 NLT)
Jesus had enemies because he thought differently, acted differently, and taught differently. He didn’t conform himself to the customs of the world. He lived clean in a dirty world. As you are living your life to please Him, the world isn’t going to accept what you think, say, or do. It is going to take offence of everything you do and people will go against you.
Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. (Hebrews 12:3 NLT)
Although parents, brothers, sisters, friends, business environment, society, etc are not going to accept you because of your new nature, Paul encourages that you think of all the hostility Jesus endured from sinful people so that you won’t become weary and give up. Don’t give up because the world hate you. Don’t give up because of the opposition you face in your office, home, church, etc. Look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2 KJV).
Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. (1 Peter 2:11, 12 NLT)
In A STRANGER IN THE LAND, I wrote about how you have to live as stranger on this planet. You are not of the world. Heaven is your home. Therefore let others see Jesus in you. I heard a story about what happened in a Sunday school class. The teacher described the live of Jesus and asked if anyone had seen Jesus before. Surprisingly, one girl stood up and said Jesus lived in a house across her street. Later in the day, the teacher found out that the man the young girl thought was Jesus lived like Jesus. His thoughts, words, and actions made the girl believed He was the Person her teacher was talking about in class. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. (Matthew 5:16 NLT)
CONCLUSION;
With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
(Ephesians 4:17-24, 28-30 NLT)
God bless you
Uplifting Christ 