SOAP: Behavior of Christians [Updated]

SCRIPTURE: 19 They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. 20 And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. 21 It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. 2 Peter 2:21

OBSERVATION: Is it okay for the saved to be depraved? In a word: NO!

APPLICATION: Christians are judged, often. It is to be expected. Those who have chosen to follow Jesus Christ can expect to be ridiculed and, in some cases and countries, tortured or even killed for no reason other than their faith. Christians are also expected to live up to a certain standard. And when they fail to live up to that standard -- or worse, when they attempt to appear to live up to that standard while all the time knowing inside that it's a facade -- God help them.

I'll use an example. My wife used to be quite the fan of Clay Aiken, from his American Idol days right up until he "came out" in People magazine. Then, for her (and, I imagine, many of Clay's fans), things changed. Not because he came out (though I think that for some that might have been reason enough). My wife found herself questioning why she should support someone who so heavily portrayed himself as a Christian, even denying being gay when asked about it, only later to come out as a deceiver.

Clay Aiken deceived his fans by saying he wasn't gay. Does this make him a bad person? Maybe not. But while deceiving his throng of fans, he talked about his faith and how he was such a devout Christian. So tell me, if you're reading this and you aren't a follower of Christ, and the only person you had to judge Christians by was Clay Aiken, what would you think now? That they're liars? That they're "gay?" That it's okay for them to call themselves Christ-like while ignoring his very teachings and living their lives the way that they want? And if Christians are supposed to be "Christ-like," what does that say of Christ (and, by extension, God Himself)?

That, I believe, is what Peter was saying. It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. Why? Because through actions like those of Clay Aiken, actions which totally contradicted his words, they portray their God and their Saviour as phonies. Wow! They might be better off if they had just chosen eternal damnation to begin with.

PRAYER: Father, as a believer and a follower of Your Son, help me to present myself in a way that brings glory to You at all times. Help me to resist the things that might tarnish the Name of Your Son, so that I might not mislead or give Your Word a bad name.