- Separation from the world. "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you." (John 15:18-19)
- Unconditional love. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35)
- Obedient trust. "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. ... He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." (John 14:1, 21)
"No one can serve two masters," yet Christians have spent the greater portion of the past two millenniums seemingly trying to prove Jesus wrong, telling ourselves that we can indeed have the things of God and the things of this world. The early Christians (A.D. 90-313) lived under a completely different set of principles and values than the rest of mankind, rejecting the world's entertainment, honours, and riches. An unknown author writing circa A.D. 130 described Christians to the Romans in this way:
"They dwell in their own countries simply as sojourners.... They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time, they surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men but are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned. They are put to death, but [will be] restored to life. They are poor, yet they make many rich. They possess few things; yet, they abound in all. They are dishonoured, but in their very dishonour are glorified.... And those who hate them are unable to give any reason for their hatred."
Can the same be said about you? Does your "Christianity" at all resemble the Christian life of the early Christians, who were more concerned with fruit than with theological dogma? This should bring new meaning to the words of Paul: "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!" Whose life does your life most closely resemble: that of Christ Jesus, or that of the world? Observe what one pagan antagonist of Christians said:
"[Christians] despise the temples as houses of the dead. They reject the gods. They laugh at sacred things. Wretched, they pity our priests. Half-naked themselves, they despise honours and purple robes. What incredible audacity and foolishness! They are not afraid of present torments, but they fear those that are uncertain and future. While they do not fear to die for the present, they fear to die after death....
At least learn from your present situation, you wretched people, what actually awaits you after death. See, many of you—in fact, by your own admission, the majority of you—are in want, are cold, are hungry, and are labouring in hard work. Yet, your god allows it. He is either unwilling or unable to assist his people. So he is either weak or unjust.... Take notice! For you there are threats, punishments, tortures, and crosses.... Where is the god who is supposed to help you when you come back from the dead? He cannot even help you in this life! Do not the Romans without any help from your god, govern, rule over, and have the enjoyment of the whole world, including dominion over you yourselves?
In the meantime, living in suspense and anxiety, you abstain from respectable pleasures. you do not attend sporting events. You have no interest in public amusements. You reject the public banquets, and abhor the sacred games.... Thus, wretched as you are, you will neither rise from the dead, nor enjoy life in the meanwhile. So, if you have any wisdom or sense, stop prying into the heavens and the destinies and secrets of the world.... Persons who are unable to understand civil matters are certainly unable to discuss divine ones."
It is a painful realization that no one would accuse Christians today of those same criticisms and charges. Christians today are criticized for being money hungry and hypocritical in their devotion to Yahweh. This is a severe indictment against today's Church and brand of "Christianity." May we repent of such godless religion and return to the simple obedient love-faith relationship of the early Christians and their focus on Jesus and His kingdom.