Rejection: Holiness

Be holy, for I am holy.

Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 1:16 (NKJV)

'Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing that you have forsaken the Lord your God, and the fear of Me is not in you,' Says the Lord God of hosts.

Jeremiah 2:19 (NKJV)

For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 (NKJV)

This Command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.

1 Timothy 1:18-19 (NASB)

The apostle Paul suffered three shipwrecks. God was not only his Life Preserver, but also his Life & Witness Enhancer…

Since each time, God showed Himself strong for Paul. Paul’s Almighty Savior was glorified to everyone who heard how he survived.

Some Christians suffer shipwrecks of the soul: evident spiritual collapses… that expose their floundering confusion. 

SIDEBAR: Families and friends who depend on them are caught in the collapse. They flounder, too!) Instead of Christians fighting the good fight, they’re fighting themselves (and monsters unknown).

The result?

They can’t win, because God isn’t in it.

Consider:

  • Famous Christians with massive followings, like pastors and preacher-celebrities, as leaders of ships flying big crosses. Many sail with them, or watch them online.

  • If they reveal themselves as hypocrites, as phonies who don’t practice what they preach, passengers are harmed. Faith can be wounded. 

  • Outsiders (who were thinking of sailing in a boat they believed Jesus headed) may conclude that Christ is a phony, too. Oh my! That shipwreck has toxic debris.

How and why do Christian shipwrecks happen?

Simple: The 'Captain of their Salvation' (Hebrews 2:10)... was NOT on the boat. 

Actors, models, and talent for Christ:

  • Be holy in media’s stormy seas.

  • Cling to Christ ‘as an Anchor’ for your soul.

  • Stay connected with a God-fearing church.

  • Make sure your pastor is true to the Word.

  • Stay in the Word YOURSELF to know the Truth!

  • Pray over every potential booking.

  • Be mindful of your off-stage example.

  • Reflect Christ to your best ability,

  • When you mess up (everyone does), fess up!

  • You’ll be seen as honest-to-God Christians, 

  • And some of your fans will follow you Home!

SOBERING WARNING:

When any Christian rejects holiness (repeatedly and without repentance), he is risking his spiritual life.

Rejection: Holiness (Part 6)

NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s not from me. It’s God. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players. Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings. This series is a rewrite of a prior 2014 series.

Carey Arban