We live in the world, but we are not to be of the world.

I copied this from my sister's blog... she wrote it. We both have been talking a lot about this lately, so since it is important to me too, i thought i'd copy it here! Thanks Kathleen!

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.-Romans 12:2

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.-1 John 2:15

You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.-James 4:4

Okay, SO, I have been hearing a lot lately about how it's okay to consciously sin, knowing that you will be forgiven. I honestly don't believe this is true. We have forgiveness because Jesus died on the cross, but if we are truly in love with God, we should be wanting to please Him and not consciously sinning.I am not going to get into my opinions on the following, I am just going to quote the Bible, because I don't believe that the Bible was given to pick apart parts that "feel good" but, that the book as a whole was given as a "road map" to life.

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.-Ephesians 5:18

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”-Ephesians 4:29

**By this time, I know a lot of you are thinking "Yup, she's saying all this because she thinks she's perfect. That is not at ALL why I am saying it! I'm quoting the Bible and what I believe that it says we all need to work on in order to be examples to those of the world, because really, if we are doing what the world is doing, we are no different than them. We are supposed to be DIFFERENT. Non-believers look at many of "us Christians" and think "Wow, they're doing THAT and they claim to be a 'Christian'? I do the same things and I'm not a Christian. What's the difference?"

''Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.'' 1 Timothy 4:12