Live Above Reproach

“Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?” (Ne 5:9 AV)

There is a balance between being concerned with the opinions of the enemies of God and ignoring them.  Most of their criticism is for the purpose of discouragement of self-righteous condemnation.  But from time to time there is an element of truth to their observations and they are justified in the statements.  Nehemiah was concerned at the testimony of the people of Judah.  They were beginning to act like the nation from which they just came.  They were gouging one another in loans with steep interest.  This is what the pagans do.  Israel was told to loan money without interest.  They were told to set a person free from their financial obligations once every seven years and fiftieth year.  By this, the pagans would know they were the children of God.  Yet, they made a decision that reflected to their mission field they were no different.

This happens to all of us.  We are not perfect.  We will make decisions that reflect the character of God in the wrong light towards those to whom are to be a testimony.  It happens.  All the time.  Sometimes these things are trivial and are just an excuse for the heathen to reject God.  A loss of temper.  An overdue bill.  A word spoken out of place.  A joke that didn’t go over well.  Lack of patience while driving on the road.  Maybe even going to a restaurant that serves alcohol on the side.  Whatever it might be, we have a lapse of judgement all the time.  But was can limit those choices the best we can.  We will never live perfect and as long as the heathen are looking for an excuse, they will find one.  What we are speaking of here is a lack of distinction between the heathen and the saved.

What is interesting is the lost always believe they are held to a different standard than they hold the saint to.  What is even more egregious is their standard is wrong, and they know it.  But somehow, in their own way of thinking, they are allowed to do what they believe to be wrong because they are not of the number of God’s people.  It is these things we need to watch for.  The previously mentioned choices may be a minor choice of separation or a fruit of the spirit gone sour, but when we do what the heathen do, specially when they know it is wrong, they we give excuse for them to throw out accusation.  We are called to holiness.  We are called to godly living.  In part, because the heathen must be brought under condemnation for their sin.  They cannot be if we are doing the same thing.