Many years ago, while I was still a seminary student doing a practicum in a Muslim community, we were introduced to an Imam, an Islamic leader in the community. He was courteous and welcomed us all, offering us snacks. To avoid offending his faith, we declined to offer a thanksgiving prayer for the food and ate. He gently reprimanded us for not following the teachings of Christianity, which is to thank God for food before eating. He then revealed that this was the reason he refused Christianity because of our inconsistencies and began bombarding us with theological questions that contradicted conventional Christian teachings vis-a-vis the Bible. This experience taught me the importance of being prudent and aware at all times. Ironically, in hindsight, many of the Iman’s ideas and understandings of Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Bible are more accurate than contemporary Christianity.
In Acts 17:16, the Bible tells us, “Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.”
Every year, I find myself provoked as well. Not because many people don’t truly understand what they have believed and practiced, but because even among evangelical Christians, they feel comfortable joining festivals and its subsequent parties. Consider Israel during the Exodus: they sought an idol even while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving God’s Covenant (Exodus 32). See Scripture:
“When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, they gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, ‘Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ So Aaron said to them, ‘Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.’ So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, ‘Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.’” (Exodus 32:1-5)
Look carefully at Exodus 32:5, Aaron clearly expressed that the golden calf he made for Israel was intended to represent the LORD, YHWH in Hebrew, the covenant name of God. In other words, Aaron wasn’t introducing a pagan god, but the LORD Himself. Yet this is not acceptable to God. Clearly stipulated in the Mosaic Law, God’s covenant with Israel states:
“And God spoke all these words, saying, ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FOR YOURSELF A CARVED IMAGE, OR ANY LIKENESS OF ANYTHING THAT IS IN HEAVEN ABOVE, OR THAT IS IN THE EARTH BENEATH, OR THAT IS IN THE WATER UNDER THE EARTH. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love Me and keep My commandments. YOU SHALL NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD YOUR GOD IN VAIN, FOR THE LORD WILL NOT HOLD HIM GUILTLESS WHO TAKES HIS NAME IN VAIN.” (Exodus 20:1-7)
Again, see Scripture to understand how God viewed Israel’s celebration in the midst of the golden calf named after Him:
“And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”” (Exodus 32:6-10)
It’s ironic that many Christians today do not see joining religious festivals as acting contrary to God’s will. Oh yes, it’s just for fun, and you still claim faith in Jesus Christ. Nowhere in the Bible is dualistic Christianity acceptable. Many don’t see such actions as a hindrance to the responsibilities Christians are called to uphold.
Faith in Christ Jesus not only grants us eternal life, it also makes us ambassadors of the Gospel. See Paul’s teaching on the ambassadorship of Christians:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ALL THIS IS FROM GOD, WHO THROUGH CHRIST RECONCILED US TO HIMSELF AND GAVE US THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and ENTRUSTING TO US THE MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION. THEREFORE, WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST, GOD MAKING HIS APPEAL THROUGH US. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake, He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him, we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
Our repentance and confession of faith in Christ comes with a price. We become bound servants of the Gospel, not of the world. While many may perceive these activities as harmless, we must be cautious not to misuse God’s name. As the apostle Paul explains in Romans 6:16, if we present ourselves as obedient slaves, we are either slaves of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness.
In 2 Corinthians 5:21, Paul states that Christ Jesus is the righteousness of God. Therefore, we should be slaves of Christ Jesus, not of the world. Slaves of the Gospel, not of sin. Instead of succumbing to peer pressure or the temptation to be accepted, we should be ambassadors of Christ Jesus and His Gospel.
There is a reason that Christ Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13-14). So why compromise if we have truly found the narrow way that leads to life?
Christians are ambassadors of the Gospel of Christ Jesus. It is through us that God has been making an appeal to others to repent and be reconciled with God. But if as ambassadors we have relapsed to the ways of the world and misrepresented Christ Jesus and His Gospel, what would be our consequences: commendations from God or rebuke? Take a look at God’s words in Revelation, written to the Seven churches. Keep in mind that God does not change.
Twice, the Bible states, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). But Christ Jesus declared, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Enjoy life, but live by the Gospel and never undermine its message.
Peter, in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share this article freely, for you freely receive. Take note, underlines and highlights are clickable links for definitions or Bible references. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessing!
Unlearning Tradition, Relearning Scripture 