Today I read an article about the town of Needles, California and how it wanted to secede from the state of California. Apparently they are not happy because the county seat is over 200 miles away. They are closer to Las Vegas, Nevada and Bullhead City, Arizona then they are to the place where county business is taken care of. They feel that Needles will get better representation and that they will have an opportunity to grow if they were in one of the neighboring states.
This article got me to thinking of Christians. When we make a profession of faith we are in a sense seceding from culture and the world. We are telling a culture that is given to sin that we would be better represented with Christ. When we secede from our culture we are shedding the "Old Man".....
"That you put off concerning the former conversation the OLD man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that you put on the NEW man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24)
If you call yourself a "Christian"(let me make this a little more clear since these days "Christian" could mean anything, a follower of Jesus Christ, the Truth, the Life and the Way.....the ONLY Way)you are to shed, uh secede from, the old man and put on the clothing of the "New Man". The idea here is that those clothes that once made us the "Old Man" need to be shed and burned so that we can be clothed in the righteousness of Christ. You know that saying, "the clothing makes the man"? Well this time it is true. Our representation is in Christ, because we get better representation before His Father. Christ stands before His Father and tells Him that His death on the cross paid for our sins. Our secession from the culture comes with the benefit of eternal life in heaven.
As believers we must secede from our culture for this reason also....
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2)
Paul tells Christians that secession is not just physical, it is mental also. Our secession must be a total change of our mind set. When we leave our culture behind we must leave it realizing that our commitment is total and not in part. When a city secedes from a state, it is total. There is no turning back. So it is with us when we become Christians.
So here is what you have to ask yourself Christian, have you seceded from the culture? Have you made more then just a physical commitment to Christ? Is your mind being renewed by the Word of God?
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