Fall of Babylon

"After all this I saw another angel come down

from heaven with great authority,

and the earth grew bright with his splendor.

He gave a mighty shout:

'Babylon is fallen--that great city is fallen!

She has become a home for demons.

She is a hideout for every foul spirit,

a hideout for every foul vulture

and every foul and dreadful animal.

For all the nations have fallen 

because of the wine of her passionate immorality.

The kings of the world

have committed adultery with her.

Because of her desires for extravagant luxury,

the merchants of the world have grown rich.'

Then I heard another voice calling from heaven,

'Come away from her, my people.

Do not take part in her sins,

or you will be punished with her.'"

Revelation 18:1-4 NLT

I wanted my precious children far away from them.  Even though the new family in our neighborhood was friendly and accommodating, their influences were not good.  There were all sorts of things going on in their home that I had purposefully kept from our elementary-aged daughters.  Horror movies flashed openly on television screens for tender hearts to witness; violent video games were offered up as entertainment; vulgar music videos played non-stop in the living room; salty language flowed freely from the mouths of all.  In short, this family was not a good influence on our young ones.

As much as I treasure my children, my Father in heaven loves His own even more.  He desires for us to live holy lives: set apart for His use and not corrupted by the world.  One day this dark world will fall.  Therefore, what business have I as a child of Light to join in with her evil? (Ephesians 5:6-8)

Separate

I grabbed the egg and carefully tapped it on the side of the bowl, making a crack around the center of the shell.  Applying gentle pressure on either side of the opening, the egg broke apart.  Holding the contents in one side of the shell, I transferred the white and the yolk back and forth between each side until the white part of the egg slid gracefully into the bowl.  All that was left within the ivory encasing was the golden middle.

It is amazing how a chicken egg holds two distinct parts within it's shell.  While both the white and the yolk are an integral part of the whole, they are distinctly separate.  In a similar way, I am in this world but not of it; I simply don't belong here!  (John 15:19)

As a result, my life should look differently as His holy child than the lives of those who are lost all around me.  From my dress, to the music to which I listen, to the words that come out of my mouth, to the way I react to the circumstances of life, I should stand out.  There should be as distinct a difference between myself and my unsaved neighbors as there is between the yolk and the white of an egg.

This difference, however, does not come with my effort.  Instead, it is a transformative change that occurs as I place myself in the hands of the Master Potter. (Romans 12:2, Isaiah 45:9, 2 Corinthians 3:18) 

As a child of light, it is to the glory of God that I live a life that is separate from the world as I love those who are caught up in it.

Protected

I applied the sunscreen liberally to the exposed parts of my skin, imagining an invisible barrier forming between this protective membrane and the sun.  As long as I use sunblock, I am protected from burning as I work out in the yard or play in the sunshine.  If, however, I forget to apply this defense, I will suffer the consequences.

While sunscreen's protection is not 100% effective, God's is.  Because of what the blood of Jesus has done in covering all my sins, I won't receive the wrath of God my transgressions have earned me.  Instead, Jesus bore that punishment upon Himself when He suffered and died on the cross. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

As a result, I can live as a child of the King who can boldly approach His throne of grace.  (Hebrews 4:16)  I need not live in shame, letting the guilt of my failures, mess-ups and falls keep me from my Father who loves me.  The blood of Jesus allows God to freely and continually offer forgiveness. (Hebrews 9:22)  

All it takes is for me to accept His mercy and live as one who has been set free from the heavy burden of self-reproach.  Instead of beating myself up over my sin, then, I can walk forward toward the Light as one who rightfully belongs to Him.  

I sometimes can get caught up in sin, thinking I don't deserve any better than to live in it's filth.  The truth found in the Gospel, however, tells me that the blood of Jesus makes me righteous before a holy God, giving me a reason to step away from the sin that so easily entangles.

As a child of Light, I am protected from the wrath of God my sins deserve and can therefore live as His precious daughter.

Forgotten

I like to joke that the good thing about getting older is I can read a book a second or third time and not remember how it turns out!  While I know that I enjoyed the story of a certain novel, I have most likely forgotten the details of the narrative.

God has a similar trait.  While He does not suffer from memory loss, He has completely forgotten my sins.  This means that He has not only forgiven my transgressions, not holding them against me, but He has also removed them from me as far "as the east is from the west." (Psalm 103:12)

Therefore, when my Father looks upon me, He sees nothing but the cleansing blood of Jesus.  He does not think of me as the woman with anger issues, or the one who struggles with doubt and insecurities.  Instead, He views me as His precious daughter, seeing me clearly as the woman He created me to be.  Can I see myself similarly?

As a child of Light, my sins are forgotten by God and not forever linked to my identity.

God loved me enough to send His Son in order to reconcile my sinful self to Him.  As a result, I must live as one who is dearly loved, keeping myself separate from the world while still allowing His perfect love to flow out to the lost.  I can also remember my position in His family protects me from His wrath, freeing me up to live as a precious child.  Finally, my character is no longer marred by sin so I can be transformed into who God intended for me to be.  This is what inspires me to live a life apart from the evils of this world.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will remember that I was created for greater things than this world can offer.

When do I get caught up in the offerings of this world, forgetting the plan God has for me?

How am I weighed down with the sin that has already been forgiven?