In a word "VITAL"
Try this...
If you had a strict vegetarian over for dinner, you would put down a nice cut of fillet steak would you? - NO, in fact, you'd probably be looking up a nice spinach pasta recipe.
Or if you had someone in your office who was a German, you wouldn't dare think of telling any WW2 jokes would you? Of course not.
Their reputation proceeds them and parts of their character are known by default.
Should be the same for us.
I mean what a powerful testimony you could drop at your office or with your classmates when they start in on you as `the religious wacko` to say "Well when was the last time you heard me swear? Or send a crass e-mail?" Hopefully the sound of a pin drop should be ample reply.
Even if you think you have the liberty, drop it. Right now we need as much purity on our side as we can get. Christendom has become a bit laughable these days with the countless millions saying "I'm a Christian, I'm born-again".. only to drop a few choice adjectives later that same day.
Just as our strict vegetarian friend would evoke the comment: "Oops, better make sure the meat is out of sight", the reputation of us who call ourselves by our Lord's name should evoke: "Ooops, he's a Christian, better keep the chit-chat clean folks".
Cheers / Brad M
Try this...
If you had a strict vegetarian over for dinner, you would put down a nice cut of fillet steak would you? - NO, in fact, you'd probably be looking up a nice spinach pasta recipe.
Or if you had someone in your office who was a German, you wouldn't dare think of telling any WW2 jokes would you? Of course not.
Their reputation proceeds them and parts of their character are known by default.
Should be the same for us.
I mean what a powerful testimony you could drop at your office or with your classmates when they start in on you as `the religious wacko` to say "Well when was the last time you heard me swear? Or send a crass e-mail?" Hopefully the sound of a pin drop should be ample reply.
Even if you think you have the liberty, drop it. Right now we need as much purity on our side as we can get. Christendom has become a bit laughable these days with the countless millions saying "I'm a Christian, I'm born-again".. only to drop a few choice adjectives later that same day.
Just as our strict vegetarian friend would evoke the comment: "Oops, better make sure the meat is out of sight", the reputation of us who call ourselves by our Lord's name should evoke: "Ooops, he's a Christian, better keep the chit-chat clean folks".
Cheers / Brad M
