It seems no matter where you turn these days there is a lot of confusion out there. It begins with the ever present divided politics and descends down to the clashes of culture that always seem to be out of control. In the middle of all this is the division of right and wrong with both sides of every issue claiming that they are the ones who are right. This problem has also entered into church culture as well. Seems there is a blurring of the lines when it comes to churches and how much the world influences them. This has been responsible for many church splits across many denominations. The sad part is that this confusion and division in what is supposed to represent God and His way look bad. To a world that so desperately needs truth more than ever before, churches that have such problems look like they are part of the problem and not the solution.

In the bible there are many areas of correction aimed at both the world and God’s people. In the book of James, he had to address some of the issues that had a negative effect on the early church under Jesus Christ. At the end of his letter he said something that is a recentering of what the core of religion and what it looks like.

James 1:27

27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

God’s people are supposed to be a light to the world. We are also supposed to be different from the world in every way. True religion is away from denomination differences and preferences and boils down to acts of love. Not only to brethren but to those around us, including our enemies. We are also holy and set apart. Embracing worldly behavior makes a Christian blend in more than they are set apart. While we as human being like to be part of the world around us we can easily become part of the problem and not part of the solution to those problems. This uniqueness from love and holiness is supposed to work like a beacon of hope to a dying world around us.

In Christ always, 

Steve Koenig

Lakeshore Fellowship