A friend of mine, Chris, told me recently, "Greg, you know, so many Christians don't live like they are committed to Christ. I don't want to be that way. I don't want to be a Sunday morning Christian, only. I want to live the Christian life all week. I want to walk in purity and flee immorality."
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. - Galatians 5:16-26
Chris went on to say that in North Carolina on our state seal is inscribed in Latin: "Esse Quam Videri". That means "To be rather than to seem". "I want to be the type of Christian that you say that about. I want to be real. I want to be rather than to seem", Chris said.
Chris had a good point. It is important for us all as Christians to be real. And to be rather than to seem. There are so many counterfeits and phonies in the world today. We don't want to add ourselves to the list of actors (hypocrites) who aren't really what they seem to be.
"Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. - Matthew 6:1
Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you. - Luke 11:39-41
Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 1 John 2:3-6
It is important that wherever we go and whatever we do we try to live our lives truthfully and humbly before God and man. We don't want to be the type of people who put on our Sunday smiles and get cleaned up once a week for Church, only to lower our standard of behavior to conform to the rest of the World every other day of the week.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. - Romans 12:2-3
The only way that we can live transformed lives is by the power of the Holy Spirit living in us. Through Him we can do all things.
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. - 2nd Corinthians 3:5-6
The Holy Spirit gives us the means by which we can follow some basic commands of the Lord Jesus:
Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." - Matthew 22:37-40
This also means showing Jesus to the world as we go about our daily lives. Think of ways that you can glorify the Lord in whatever you do today. Whether it be sharing the Good News, giving a homeless person a dollar, stopping to help someone with a disabled vehicle, greeting a fellow rider on the elevator, or just being kind to a stranger. There are many ways that we can show Jesus to the world every day. Just remember the fact that people see Jesus in you because you have His Spirit thriving inside you.
Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. - Matthew 28:20
This verse implies that there is something unique about you because Jesus goes with you wherever you go. So, if His Spirit goes with you, there is a manifest presence in you that people can see and feel when you are present. So if we have His spirit we can all show people Jesus and not just tell them about Him.
At the funeral for my cousin, Joe, two years ago, his son-in-law, Kent, who is a preacher, said: "In his life, Joe said: Show me, don't tell me". Joe lived his life in such a way that he made a difference by using his ability to touch people's lives. He made a mark at the YMCA where he was named employee of the year before cancer invaded his body and made him sick. Kent spoke of how Joe had befriended a young, disabled girl who was a Y member and had shown the love of God to her. Joe loved Jesus and He showed Him to people that he met.
Showing Jesus to people with good deeds along with telling people about His saving grace are two different ways that we help fulfill God's plan in North Carolina or any other place that the Lord has called us to be.
Now He who has prepared us for this very same thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. - 2nd Corinthians 5:5
The guarantee of the Holy Spirit is like a seal of God's approval. We, as Believers have been sealed by His Spirit. And like the seal of the great state of North Carolina that says "To Be Rather than to Seem", God's seal of the Spirit guarantees that we can follow through To Be Rather Than To Seem.