Guarding Our Spiritual Identity
In a world where identity theft is rampant, it’s essential to recognize that our spiritual identity is the most valuable asset we possess. As Christians, we are set apart, and our true identity is rooted in Christ. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
The Subtle Thief
Just as thieves target our financial identities, Satan seeks to steal our spiritual identity, moral purity, and compromise our values. He uses the corrupt secular world to lure us into moral ambiguity, subtly tempting us to abandon our Christian principles.
The World We Live In
Take a glance at the news, and you’ll see the evidence of moral decay. Headlines like “Judge Charged in Stripper Inquiry,” “Former State Official Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography,” and “Most Floridians Okay With Gays and Lesbians Adopting” reveal the moral landscape we inhabit. It’s a world where compromise is the norm, and Christians are not immune to its influence.
The Danger of Compromise
The most perilous word for Christians is “compromise.” We may rationalize that it’s okay to watch an ‘R’ rated movie or engage in morally questionable behavior, but this is spiritual adultery. We are twice-born creatures trying to live in but stay apart from a once-born world, where traps lurk around every corner.
The Path to Moral Degeneration
When we observe the world’s values, we soon focus our lives around them, accept them as acceptable behavior, and eventually participate in them. This is the normal progression for moral degeneration, and Christians are not exempt from Satan’s temptations.
Living with Integrity
So, how shall we then live? The wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure (James 3:17). If we surrender our lives to God and resist the devil, he will flee from us (James 4:7). As James so aptly puts it, if we are not faithful to God and are in love with the world, then we are God’s enemies (James 4:4).
Holding Fast to Our Hope
In a world that seeks to steal our spiritual identity, let us hold fast to our confession of hope without wavering. “Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22-23). Don’t risk losing your spiritual identity, for it is the most valuable thing any Christian possesses, more valuable than anything in this world.
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