The "But" of Faith

            "The king commanded his chief eunuch to bring some of the people of Israel... and teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and the wine that he drank... But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. " (from Daniel 1)

            It would appear that the king was in total control and that his purpose would stand. Without further information, we might have assumed that everyone would go along with it. "But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself." The word "but" marks a turning point in a line of thought - as if we've been traveling in one direction and, suddenly, we're interrupted - BUT.  It's at this point that we're asked to question our way of thinking and challenge our previous assumptions. Implicit in the word "but" is a contrast of values.  "The Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish."  Peter writes:  "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct." Peter was saying, "The world around you is driven by their passions, blinded by ignorance, and pressed into conformity to the pattern of this world," and he could had concluded, "so you should just give in to the pattern of the world." This isn't what he says though.  Instead, we read, "But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct." That is, "Live contrary to your generation; Go against the flow; Be marked, different, noticeably "other" than your culture!"    Notice though that God doesn't just call us to be "abstainers." The whole point is not simply to resist the ways of the world but to run hard after a holy God. Christians are so often known as prudish, conservative people who aren't supposed to experience any form of pleasure.  In reality though, we should be known as vibrant, extravagant lovers, actively pursuing righteousness and satisfying ourselves with that which is truly life!  Paul warned Timothy to "Flee youthful lust," yes, but he followed it with the exhortation to "Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness" (1 Timothy 6:11 ESV). According to James 4:7, how should we resist the devil?  "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you."  That's the key!  

            You see, Christ is not a conviction we adopt but a Savior who's calls us into a lifelong adventure with himself. Nor is Christianity some dismal destination (as many wrongly assume). No, Christianity is a Divine direction! The question is: Which direction are we going?