A Pure Life Will Pay the Price

"Then the commissioners [administrators, governors, presidents] and satraps [princes] began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him." Daniel 6:4

Daniel was extremely careful not to make a mistake. He was not noted for any lack of judgment. There was no error recorded against him; no lapse of discernment or discretion. Nothing on his record was bad. Alexander Maclaren had this to say about Daniel:

"It's remarkable that a character of such beauty and consecration as Daniel's should be rooted and grow out of the court where Daniel was. For this court was half shambles and half pig stye. It was filled with luxury and sensuality and lust and self-seeking and idolatry and ruthless cruelty; and the like were the environment of this man. And in the middle of this there grew up that fair flower of character, pure and stainless by the acknowledging of his enemies."

People today, especially nominal "Christians," will often argue, "God doesn't expect us to live that kind of life in our current culture and environment." Are you sure about that? Where Daniel was, it was ten times worse than anything you or I know, and anything currently happening around us. Yet Scripture testifies of Daniel that "neither was there any error or fault found in him." So how were these men going to find fault in Daniel? Through his religion...

"Then these men said, 'We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God.'" Daniel 6:5

Anyone who aspires to leadership, there is always going to be a price to pay for being a leader. There is always going to be a penalty to pay for excellency in anything you do. Anyone who is determined to excel and succeed will sooner or later pay the price for primacy. Envy hates the excellency it cannot reach! Even the New Testament records the fact of Daniel's character and all like him:

"All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." 2 Timothy 3:12

In a world that is rotten and corrupt to the core, God expects—no, He demands—us to live pure, righteous, holy, and blameless before others. How can we expect to be the salt and light in the world if we are not living in such a way? Those who are arguing and attempting to make excuses for the sin patterns in their lives, arguing that the holiness God demands is somehow "legalism," will more than likely hear those fateful words, "Depart from Me, you worker of lawlessness. I never knew you!" The genuine born-again Christian who strives to "be perfect, as [their] heavenly Father is perfect" and to "be holy, for [He is] holy" will hear those wonderful words, "Well done, My good and faithful servant."

No matter how backward, corrupt, and wicked our culture and environment get, genuine Christians are always to live contrary to them. We are to be in the world, but not like the world. We are set apart and should live like it. We are to walk in such a way that is worthy of our calling, worthy of the Gospel, worthy of the Lord, and worthy of God (Eph. 14:1; Phil. 1:27; Col. 1:10; 1 Thess. 2:12). We are to be a light on a hill, shining in the darkness. We are to be different from the world, and if we have truly been with Jesus, the world will know it because they will see it. Anyone who disagrees with this has obviously never read their Bible and is clearly not a Christian!

"Jealousy is the tribute that mediocrity pays to genius." —Unknown

When you strive for excellency and live in excellency, those who are jealous of you will try to seek occasion against you. If they can find no dirt on you, they will attempt to make it up, and if that does not work, they will seek a way against you using your religion as they did with Daniel.