I grew up around Upstate New York.  The cherry season was in July. I remember as a kid going to a cherry orchard to pick cherries and put them into a large metal pail. I knew which trees were the cherry trees. They had the cherries on them. Now that may sound funny, but I’m not a tree expert.  If I would walk through that orchard in the fall, winter or the first part of spring, I would not know those cherry trees from apple or pear trees. However, I do know the difference between these trees when I see their fruit.

      Jesus said that those who follow His word would be known by their fruit (Luke 7:43, 44). When we look at the lives of those who claim to follow Christ we ought to see Christ in their fruit. Unfortunately the lives of some who claim to follow Christ are not much different that those who do not. Christians cannot change the culture when they live just like the culture.

      We complain and protest against things like gay marriage, but a bigger problem today is Christians getting divorced.  Liberal churches to evangelical churches are all too accepting of divorce and remarriage. This is a huge sin in the church today and it destroys the lives of children and the value of marriage. How could any good church allow it? (Christ made only one exception in Matt 19:9)

       

I don’t mean to just pick on divorce. It is just one example of the many problems in the church today. There are others. One of the most prevalent is the lack of love that flows out of those who believe towards those who do not believe. The best way to change the culture is not by petitioning our congressman about too much sex and violence in movies or by protesting against Planned Parenthood or the actions of the ACLU.  The best way to change the culture is to first to allow God to change you.

      We, who follow Christ, must allow Him to transform our lives as we turn from our own sinful ways. We must also not stand in judgment of those around us, but reach out in love. Sure, we are always to stand up for truth and righteousness. We cannot fail there either, but we need to change ourselves and love others. For as Paul writes in I Corinthians 13 “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” If we change ourselves and love others the culture will see our fruit and follow.

©2008 Pasquale R Mingarelli         wildheartphotography.com