Romans 12:2 ESV “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Read this passage over a second time but this time instead of focusing upon what it says I want you to focus upon what it does not say, because all too often that is how way too many Christian act in the public arena. The Scripture commands us not to conform to the standards of this world which implies that the world around us will not live by the standards of God found within the Bible. Yet all too often Christians will attempt to beat the world over the head with a Bible and into submission to the standards of the Scriptures. Often through politics and trying to get laws passed that force people to act the way they believe that the Bible commands it. The problem is this is not what the Bible teaches but it is also unbiblical. For the Bible commands us to reach out to and minister to those outside of the church and then once inside the church to make disciples of them by teaching them how to follow Christ and live according to God’s standards. When the order is reversed all too often we find ourselves too busy condemning others to be able to minister to them. Not to mention that it makes them angry and less likely to listen to other Christians in the future. Remember while God does command us to spread the Gospel, He first commands us to love others because without love for others the Gospel message of God’s love for us does not come off as having any integrity.