Are Christians Held to a Higher Standard?
They should be
This is love: that we live according to his commands. This is the command that you heard from the beginning: live in love. (2 John 1:6, CEB)
Christians should have a higher set of standards than non-Christians. Unfortunately, many non-Christians display better standards than Christians. Also, if having higher standards seems daunting, it is the wrong thing to consider when considering Christ.
The first and foremost thing that Jesus wants is our true love and devotion. Second, He wants us to love others. It seems pretty straightforward — right?
Yet the first thing, love, and devotion, comes at a cost. To some, the price may be too costly during this age of me, me, me. Most are worried that somebody may violate their rights, much less contemplate saying, “Okay, I give up all that I am to you, Lord. I relinquish all my rights and choose to love and live for you.”
Within the scope of that love, are we willing to give Christ our trust, hopes, dreams, fear, and pain? Are we willing to consult Him in all matters? The bottom line is that God wants us! It’s simple, and it’s problematic.
When we give all to Christ, we become a representation of Him. Do we want to live with a higher standard than others? The answer is probably, “No!”
It’s easier to live like the world.
Some would find it more manageable to work to gain God’s acceptance than to give themselves to Him. The people from the Old Testament tried to do that by enforcing 613 laws. It didn’t work then, and it does not work now. No matter how well we behave or work, we need Christ dwelling in us. Then Christ will be our perfection.
God’s standard is love: true, unobstructed, unbiased, limitless love!
God loves us first, and as a result, we love Him back, which enables us to love others.
Through this love relationship our way of living changes.
- We would want to pray and meditate. Don’t you enjoy spending time with those you love?
- We would listen and learn from Him. Don’t you like to listen to those you love?
- We would read our Bible. Don’t you crave knowing those you love on a deeper level?
- We would be loving, gentle, and kindhearted to others. Don’t you adopt certain pleasing attributes of those you love?
Also, love is a strong motivator.
- Love motivates us to please Him.
- Love motivates us to obey.
- Love motivates us to grow in our faith.
- Love motivates us to be more aware of things, such as our language, attitudes, pride, prejudices, anger, impatience, lack of generosity, and so much more.
It’s not working hard towards a higher standard to gain a relationship with God; it’s having a loving relationship with God that will automatically cause us to live by a higher standard.
So when you hear the news of another priest, minister, elder, teacher, deacon, or church official acting outside the scope of love, you can know that this is a misrepresentation of our loving God. Don’t dismiss all of Christendom on people working outside love parameters.
Are Christians held to a higher standard? They should be, but don’t let that be a hangup in deciding to follow Jesus. Take that first step to a higher plane by receiving His love. Standards will follow.
