SERIES
Sojourn: Toward an Enduring City
2017-01-22T08:00:00-06:00
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright (c)2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. http://www.esv.org
Our neighbors have a fish, so when they leave town, we have a fish. During our brief sojourns with our aquatic friend, I sometimes think about life in the fishbowl. I wonder, “What’s it like to live in that bowl? How does it feel to be threatened by a cat and a toddler?” I don’t think the fish contemplates such questions, but I have noticed one thing. He comes to life when we approach the fishbowl. From the other side of the room, he appears sluggish, but when we get close, he welcomes the attention. It’s like he knows his life is on display.
On Sunday Mark Davis compared the Christian life to life in a fishbowl. Christ’s followers do not swim in a claustrophobic container but in the glorious freedom of the children of God. Our fishbowl could be labeled “IN CHRIST,” and in Christ the Lord has put our lives on display. The Christian life is a glass door and an open window to the watching world. Peter writes, “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12). As Peter brings our conduct into focus, the passage raises several questions worthy of reflection.
First, do we understand the significance of our lives being on display? Theologically, we know that belief precedes behavior, that who God is and what He has done undergirds and empowers our response. But we mustn’t forget that God’s grace saves us and transforms us. In our radically individualistic world, we need the reminder that as the body of Christ, our conduct matters. People are watching, and they’re asking whether Jesus Christ makes a difference. As we consider our various spheres of influence, how do our lives make the gospel more (or less) believable? Are we eager to address the disconnects between what we profess and what we practice?
Second, do we understand the opportunity the Lord has given us? As we live in the fishbowl, the watching world is more dangerous than any cat or toddler. Peter tells us that outsiders will speak against us as evildoers. When we do good and people call it evil, what will those people see in our response? A good defense or good deeds? Amazingly, the Lord has chosen to use the consistent, faithful conduct of His imperfect people to reveal the worth of Christ to those who need Him. When Jesus was hanging on a cross, the world called evil good. And with His life on full display, Jesus responded, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” There’s a reason that the Christian life looks “alien” to those on the outside. Do we realize we’re living in a fishbowl, with our lives on display? And are we praying that the Lord will use our lives to invite others to stop spectating and take the plunge?