with others or to identify with them. In fact you may, on the surface, seemingly have little in common. A young person seeking a job from a conservative businessman may shave, shower and dress up in his conservative best, but does this mean he now shares the businessman’s political, economical or religious views? Not necessarily. The banker who decides to win back his indif ferent son will waste his money if he buys “mod” clothing and acquires a hip vocabulary. For the basic views or commitments of the banker run deeper than his newly acquired clothes or language. An exasperated parent who says to a teenage son or daughter, “ You can’t go out dressed like that; what will people think,” actually shares the same commitment the teenager does. Both are concerned about what other people think. The teenager would not dress that way unless he was deeply concerned about what other teenagers think about him. And the parent would not be concerned (presuming it was not immodest for a Christian) unless he or she were concerned about what other adults would think. Both have a commitment to being liked or looked up to by their age group. With this knowledge, perhaps understanding and fruit ful discussion on dress and appearance can be achieved. Our life in Christ is a graphic example. It is the foundational com mitment to Christ as Lord that binds together Christians despite race, political persuasion, or station in life. It is not our appearance, political commitment, or cultural background that properly unites or divides us. In Christ, a banker and a janitor study the Bible in the same class and potentially, enjoy each other’s company in a variety of situations. When the apostle John writes Gaius (III John), his point of refer ence with Gaius is not a surface identification (“we attended the same schools,” “ voted the same way,” or “ look and dress alike” ), but the foundational commitment: “Whom I love in the truth.” John said, in essence, “we are one in Christ.” Such commitments will prompt further evidences of Identification— or similarity in life. If two people are one in Christ, they may dress dif ferently but share a desire for a deeper knowledge of Christ (Phillipians 3:10) and God’s Word (I Timothy 4:13). They may disagree over presi dential candidates but desire to be good citizens of the land (Romans 13) while they work and wait for the return of our Lord who will establish the only just kingdom. The wise citizen and surely the wise Christian should not rely on nor be mislead by popular forms of identification. He should not confuse “ accommodation” (that is dressing a part or playing a role) with effec tive communication. He will seek, as did Paul to those to whom he ministered and wrote, to understand the feelings and concerns of his listeners. He will seek to reach them by looking beneath the surface to note the basic commitments that cause a person to live the way he does. Identification is far more than donning appropriate dress — be it “mod” or conservative — or speaking the language of another person, it is sharing basic commitments and concerns. As sinners, we have a point of reference with all who are lost. As redeemed sinners we walk in fellowship with all who rejoice in Christ as Lord and Savior. Page 6
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