Against The Flow

Two college students from Moorhead, Minnesota, painted a mural on the wall outside their dormitory room. According to USA Today, it showed a school of fish all swimming in the same direction except for a single fish heading the opposite way. The one fish was intended to be the age-old symbol of Christ. Printed on the picture were these words, "Go against the flow" University officials, arguing that the mural might offend non-Christians, ordered the students to paint over it. (Our Daily Bread,1/22/2005)
Last Sunday I shared a message entitled: "Against The Flow" Peter in his first letter to the Christians of Asia Minor, encourages them to remain faithful to their Christian lifestyle, even though they were facing severe persecution in the Roman world.
(Please read 1 Peter 4:1-6) Peter reminds his readers to remember what Jesus died for. He died for their sins. He suffered and died to conquer sin. And as Christians we must strive, to put to death the sinful nature. That desire to do those things, that we know are against the will of God, for our lives. Peter speaks to them about wasting their lives, by running with the world, and sinning. Don't bring back to life that old man of sin, that Jesus gave His life to put to death. Yes the world thinks it strange that we don't join them in sin, and worldliness, and they criticize our values and priorities. Well God will judge them someday. They will have to give an account for their lives. But just as the Christians who have passed on may be judged severely by the world, because they received the Gospel, and turned their lives over to Jesus Christ, they now have that precious promised reality of eternal life. They are now enjoying all the eternal blessings that God promised. Is it worth it to go against the flow? Indeed it is! (GP)