No Riding the Fence

Worldliness.
It’s a struggle in our own lives and in our churches. There’s no doubt that we have a fleshly side of us that wars against the spiritual side. Many times we live in the world and sadly, like the world. You can’t look the world, act like the world , sound like the world, and smell like the world and be pleasing to God. It just doesn’t work. And it is so saddening that it’s going on with people who have been raised in strong, Bible preaching churches, who know the Word of God and yet choose to do their own thing. I was again reminded of this when I was reading the end of the book of Joshua in my devotions. Read chapter twenty-three in your Bible.

“Be ye therefore very courageous(strong, steadfast) to keep(guard)

and to do(accomplish) all that is written in the book of the law of Moses,

 that ye turn not aside therefrom 

to the right hand or to the left.

That ye come not among these nations…

But cleave unto the Lord your God, 

As ye have done unto this day.

Take good heed therefore unto yourselves,

That ye love the Lord your God.”

Joshua 23:6-8, 11

Instead of writing the whole chapter here, I just picked out some of the verses that stuck out. This was Joshua’s final message to the people before he died, it was a repeat of what they had been told over and over. Repetition is the key to learning, unless you don’t listen.
Joshua was telling the people that God had delivered them into the Promised Land. He had conquered their enemies, He had provided for them. Chapter 24 verse 13 tells of God’s provision, they moved into ready-made cities. They didn’t have to build the cities or start the vineyards and wait for years of maturity until it produced, it was already there.
 Their main command was to stay separate from the remaining heathen nations, to have nothing to do with them. It wasn’t just a command, it was a command that had an attached promise. If they chose to disobey and associate with the heathen God’s blessings would be removed… until they died.(vs. 13) Instead of all the good things God bestowed on them daily, He would bestow evil things. That’s pretty strong language to me.

 “Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him

 in sincerity(without blemish) and in truth(certainty):

 put away the gods which your fathers served…

Joshua 24:14

The next verse is that famously quoted verse, hung on plaques in Christian homes across the world. Joshua says(My paraphrase): “Make up your mind who you’ll obey and follow. You can’t ride the fence and you must make the decision now. I’ve already made my decision to serve the Lord.”

So moving on to the applicable section of my ranting. Like I said at the beginning, worldliness is an issue today. But I believe the lesson from Joshua is still applicable today, because forms of it are mentioned in the New Testament also.

“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

“…Know ye not that the friendship of the world

Is enmity(hatred, hostility) with God? 

Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world

Is the enemy of God.”

James 4:4

“…keep himself unspotted(not having one spot) from the world”

James 1:27

We are still to be separate from the world, the heathen nations, just like in Joshua’s day. We are to try to reach them with the Gospel, but you can win someone from the world if you are like the world.
This isn’t a dress article. Though I will tell you before we moved down here the Lord pointed out something about my dress. It didn’t have to do with immodesty, it had to do with association. I had to get rid of my Aeropostal clothes, not that I had many, because I found myself wearing them because they are “cool” and that’s the style. I’m not saying burn your Aero clothes, I just had to get rid of them because the Lord spoke to me. I am not called to be “cool” and the Lord doesn’t give me a dress standard in His Word so I can be stylish.
I guess you can say this is an association post. We serve a holy God and worldliness is not pleasing to him, not even one spot of it. We can be like the world and love the things it loves, but it comes with a high price- you will be an enemy of God and not having the love of God in you. It’s more than dress, it’s your whole lifestyle.
If an unsaved person saw you, would they think you are like them because you act like the world, use it’s slang language, dress in it’s stylish clothes?
If they listened to your music would they notice a difference or is it something that they would listen to and like?
You cannot ride the fence, Choose who you will associate with - a Holy God or the Heathen Nations.