BULLETIN ARTICLE
27 October 2019
TRANSPARENT CHRISTIAN LIVING
“What happens in Church, stays in Church. And whatever happens outside Church, stays outside.” Some people would like their Christian faith to be compartmentalised this way. Though we may not say that, we may actually live our Christian faith this way. Keep to the spiritual/secular divide. Maintain the Sunday – Monday to Saturday separation in Christian living! However, “Compartmentalised Christianity” is powerless. It does not transform lives, challenge ungodly mindsets or reach desperate and worried people with the good news about who God is. You are not “Transformed to be a blessing”.
Joseph’s life is a clear example of an undivided life. He lived through desperate times. He was thrown into the pit by his brothers once before at age seventeen. And now, on account of false accusation he is again in the pit, in the prison where the king’s prisoners were confined. Still holding the status of a slave in prison, he was made to serve two men who were held in the same prison in custody under suspicion for attempting to poison the Egyptian Pharaoh. Joseph did not see faith irrelevant. He served Pharoah’s cupbearer and Pharaoh’s baker dutifully. And he was sensitive enough to note when they looked troubled one day. When they had dreams and wanted much for them to be interpreted, Joseph did not hesitate to state: “Do not interpretations belong to God?” (Gen 40:8). His unabashed unwavering response reflected his living relationship with God. And he saw the relevance of revealing to the men the all -knowing great God who is able to meet their particular need. In our context, it would mean us seeing anyone expressing a need as divine appointment for us to provide compassion in the Lord.
In Genesis 41, Joseph did not miss a step in clinging to his faith even though he was forgotten when the two jailed compatriots were removed from Pharaoh’s prison. Two years passed before he was eventually brought before Pharaoh to interpret his two inexplicable dreams. When he was called up to appear before Pharaoh, his first acknowledgement of his capability to interpret dreams was from God alone. Here was Joseph, a slave who didn’t see much apparent success from his youth, who stood before the Egyptian Pharaoh who believes in magicians. Joseph did not “play along” and was not afraid if the mention of his God was embarrassing or offensive. His faith in God was the hallmark of his life. In all his four responses Joseph pointed Pharaoh to his great and Almighty God. It is noteworthy that Pharaoh acknowledged the God who was in Joseph.
Keeping the spiritual life separate from the daily secular life seems safe in our Singapore society. They offend few and are acceptable to the world in general. Unfortunately, it is inevitable that one will take over the other. Be a Joseph. Live the undivided Christian life. Live your daily life with Jesus. Always go for transparent Christian living.
