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IF… "If therefore you have been raised with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God: have your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth; for you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you will appear with Him in glory." (Colossians 3:1-4) Last week in rehearsal I told you about a recent teachable moment with my son, Wade. Teachable moments come all the time if we look and listen. The premise of this specific teachable moment was people without Christ act like people without Christ. We should never be amazed and shocked when we see nonbelievers acting in ways that are obviously contrary to the Scriptures. As we look through the Bible it is obvious that there should be a distinction between the lifestyle of the lost and the lifestyle of the saved. Someone might think I am inferring that if you act saved then you are saved. Definitely not! I know many good, ethical and moral people that are as lost as a needle in a haystack. Good behavior does not make you saved. Our shock should come when people with Christ act like people without Christ. We are and should be held to a higher standard of living. Some may say, “That is not fair!” But I did not invent this higher standard, God did! In Colossians, Paul is not assuming everyone he is writing to is saved. That is why he starts out chapter 3 with a conditional phrase. He understood nobody can live a righteous life without Christ. But with Christ all things are possible. Paul tells us that as Christians we are to live in a manner distinct from the world. Even our thinking should be different. The world sets its mind on – its ambition is set on – acceptance from man, but we should be striving for acceptance from God. The world has earthy gain as its chief ambition, whereas, heavenly rewards should be the primary passion of the Christian. Too often I look around and see little difference between the actions of the lost and the actions of the saved. If we expect people outside of Christ to act according to the world’s standards, then we should also expect people who claim to love Christ to act in manner consistent with that claim. There needs to be a commitment to serving our Lord that far exceeds our commitment to the things of this world. In light of this, here are a few questions you and I can ask ourselves today: Does my love for Christ show? What things do I need to change in order for my lifestyle to be consistent with my profession of faith in Christ? Let us examine ourselves and see if there is any wicked way in us, and then repent! Aaron Hodges