One of the greatest challenges we face as believers living in the United States of America in the 21st century is distraction. We can all relate to being distracted, because we have all been distracted. Our affluent society bombards us daily with advertisements for things companies want to convince us we need, unrealistic social media lifestyles that are sold to us as the standard we must conform our own lives to, the promise that more wealth or a new job or retirement will satisfy and make life better, or simply just the never ending stream of entertainment at our fingertips. We live in a world in which it is so very easy to be distracted by the abundance of worldly things and their promises they cannot possibly fulfill. At the same time, we are distracted from living lives of obedience to God’s word, pursuing holiness, and being content with the greatness of both God’s will and provision.
In our studies through Pilgrim’s Progress, we saw the Pilgrims face the distractions of the world in Vanity Fair. The temptation was great to conform and pursue the pleasures of life as the end in and of themselves, and when the pilgrims plugged their ears against the lies and dared to speak the truth of God and the promise of the gospel, they were persecuted. Faithful was persecuted to the point of martyrdom.
Brothers and sisters, we live in Vanity Fair! It is so easy to take our eyes off of our savior, stray from the road, and pursue the things the world holds out to us. However, if we dare to resist the world, to live differently, to pursue holiness, and to speak the truth of God’s word without compromise as though we really believed it, we can expect similar treatment as Christian and Faithful in Vanity Fair. We can and should be prepared for opposition.
In April, we will begin looking at how we as members of Christ’s church are to live in Vanity Fair by walking through Paul’s letter to Titus on Sunday mornings. Paul writes to Titus these words in chapter 2, verses 11-14:
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. 2:12 It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 2:13 as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 2:14 He gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are truly his, who are eager to do good[1]
If we have been saved by God’s grace, then let us examine our lives and ask ourselves, “Am I rejecting godless ways? Is my lifestyle best described as self-controlled, upright, and godly? Am I living for eternity, as though Jesus might return at any moment? Am I looking forward to that day and seeking to share the gospel with all the lost around me with the urgency that comes with knowing time is running out?”
These are questions we all need to ask ourselves so as to resist distraction, or to refocus on our true purpose in life when we do get distracted. We hope you will join us as we dig into the amazing and practically applicable truths in this letter that I trust will be a blessing to your soul as they have been to mine. May the Lord bless and keep you in his love, by his grace, for his glory!
-Bro. Adam
[1] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005), Tt 2:11–14.
