Question
Are there any scriptures that talks about acting defferent around different people? When I am around Christians I act like a Chirstian but when I’m not around Christians I find myself acting like a non-Christian. What can I do to stop doing this? I am a Christian and love the lord.
Answer
Yes, there are. Two come to mind:
In Matthew chapter 23 Jesus condemns the scribes and Pharisees because they are hypocrites. Read it.
In Galatians chapter 2 the apostle Paul gives the apostle Peter a chewing out because Peter refused to act like a Christian in front of the Gentile Christians. Go ahead and read it!
Allow me to be very blunt here, I think you need it.
Look at the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:13-16
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 “Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure [or “bushel basket” — dlb], but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (NAS)
If you act like a non-Christian around non-Christians, then you are hiding your lamp under a basket!
You gotta stop doing that!!
Why are you acting that way? Because of the fear of rejection!
Think about Christ. The prophet spoke of Him and His rejection in Isa 53:3
3 “He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” (NAS)
Yet He was willing to put up with all that rejection, so that we may be saved. You must be willing to put up with rejection. This is not kindergarten, this is reality, and Christ said, in Matt 10:32-33:
32 “Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 “But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.” (NAS)
So you have to get over it, and conquer it. I am not going to say that “… it is allright, Christ loves you and will take care of you anyway, no matter if you spit in His face …” because that is not true, as it is inconsistent with His promise in the verses above. It will be very serious if He were to deny you before His Father in heaven!
Perhaps you should limit your interaction with non-Christians and increase your time being around Christians until you can learn to be able deal with the rejection.
Whatever you do, you cannot continue as you are and be pleasing to Christ.
By David Baize
