By: Aleisha Marina Pienaar Here is a bit of a long post. It can be controversial, but this is our heart. What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? Romans 6:15-16 In the Amazon Jungle, sin is sin. Holiness is holiness. There is no in-between.
We live in a world where passive Christianity has become acceptable; expected, even. How often do we talk about "grey areas" and "...depending on the situation?" When confronted with sin, we justify it. While that may work in western society, when you hit the raging spiritual battle in places like the Amazon that will simply not do. What does this say about western society, then? Has the battle already been won? Has Satan got us exactly where he wants us? When a missionary enters a tribe for the first time, he or she is tested. A good friend of ours, on a recent trip, was invited to work in the gardens in a tribal community. The people watched him and when they saw his faithfulness, the chief allowed him to speak the gospel, resulting in half the tribe dedicating their lives to Jesus. How amazing is that? However, I also know of a missionary who recently went to one of these tribes, and thought it might be nice to enjoy a beer in the local bar with some tribesmen. The next day he was kicked out, because in the eyes of the chief and the rest of the tribe, he wasn't practicing what he was preaching. Just for having a drink or two. This inherently is not sinful, but the tribespeople see a bar as a place of drunkenness, and according to the Bible, drunkenness is sin (Galatians 5:16-21). Hence, a bar is a place of sin in their eyes. See, jungle politics work differently. Especially with potential communication barriers due to language, tribes watch how people act, look at their lifestyle, and then make judgments based on the figurative fruit that a person produces (Galatians 5:22-26). When we go in, we cannot afford to even slip up. By God's grace, we will not slip up. However, we need to make that decision now already. We need to make that our lifestyle NOW. We cannot live two lives, a live of passive Christianity in New Zealand, and a life of active Christianity in Peru. In 1 Kings 18:21, Elijah asks Israel “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:24 that, “No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." When we allow some sin, some guilty pleasure into our life, we are receiving our reward right then and there. We receive recognition, more friends, more wealth. When we live righteously, we are storing up our treasures in Heaven. These treasures are not material. These treasures are the lives that Jesus can save because of the example we set. One example that think sums this up very well (there are MANY more!), and an issue that I have been frustrated with recently, is the use of strong language. I cannot tell you how many times I wince when I walk through church, and other Christian gatherings, and I hear filthy words rolling from the tongues of the congregation. I hear people who follow Jesus take His name in vain. Each time it hurts. I've had Christian friends apologise to me for swearing in front of me, because they "know I don't like it." There is no conviction, no change, no consideration of what these words mean. I've argued with a young man once about this very issue. His reason for using harsh language was because it was a way for him to "express himself." He was on the worship team in the church I was attending at the time. The same mouth that helped lead people into a time of song-worship for our Heavenly Father, would after the service be rattling away with words that chipped away at my heart. There is no excuse for dirty language. Think about it. When these words escape our mouth, they are often words spoken in anger, disgust, frustration. Doesn't God call us to be slow to speak, slow to be angry, and quick to listen? (James 1:19). Are we not called to live in purity, that encourage and edify the people around us with the words we speak? (Ephesians 4:29). In the jungle, this double standard is not allowed. Why, in our world of privilege and freedom, should a double standard be acceptable? Has the battle been won? We are not called to be passive. We are called to live actively in seeking Christ and becoming more like Him. Christianity is not restrictive. God isn't trying to keep us away from joy and pleasure. No, Jesus came so that we can experience true joy and fellowship with people around us. We get to shine, because Jesus shines through us! So where are you at the moment? The battle is raging, but we have the Creator on our side. So if you are struggling with a double-life, lay it before Jesus. His yoke is easy and light.
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Emil & Aleisha PienaarWe are Missionaries who travel to the Amazon Jungle. Our home base is Dunedin, New Zealand. Our heart is to reach the unreached. Archives
October 2018
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