• Home
  • About This Blog
  • Contact Me
  • Subscribe
  • Comment Policy

Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series
Home Guest Post Blending In or Sticking Out: What Should Christians Do?

Blending In or Sticking Out: What Should Christians Do?

Posted on July 3, 2019 Written by Adam Durnham Leave a Comment


This is a guest post by Adam Durnham. If you are curious about publishing a guest post, please review the guest post guidelines. Then contact me if you can work within those guidelines and would like to submit a post.

As Christians, we are called to fish for men. This means going out of our comfort zones in order to save the lost. But many of us become confused about the boundaries of blending in and actually stick out and become stumbling blocks. If you are someone who is seeking clarity, read to know more.

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, one of His final instructions included “making disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Although modern-day Christian may not walk the Earth and proclaim the Gospel on the streets, we are still called to live our lives in holy ways and to share the Good News with our spheres of influence.

Fishing for men: Is there a gray area?

“Fishing for men” definitely requires balance. When Paul noted that he became a Jew for the Jews and acted under the law (1 Corinthians 9:20-22), it was clear that as Christians, we sometimes need to blend in to win people over.

Many of us become confused with the principle of blending in.

When I was a new Christian and a college student at a large university, I would often find myself in gray areas. I called them gray areas because there I was, professing my newfound faith, but also hanging out with my friends like nothing had changed. My alcoholism took over because I thought I had control and could keep drinking like I had before. I eventually went into a Christian rehab and decided to take things seriously.

As I became older, I realized that gray areas are not really gray. We cannot say that we are winning people over if we clearly know that we are becoming stumbling blocks.

Winning people or becoming a stumbling block

I could have used a guide about living my faith. So, I have created one. Here are some questions you may ask yourself. They may help you determine if your actions may win people for Christ or you are just acting as a stumbling block:

Is it against the law?

To ask if what you are doing is fit for winning people for God, ask if it is a lawful act. This does not mean the context of law in the Bible, but rather the everyday law that all citizens of a state or a country must follow. After all, God tells us to be responsible citizens by submitting to the governing authorities: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1).

Is it moral?

Having morals is quite different from being lawful. There are things that are passable in terms of the law, but they may not be acceptable in the eyes of others. As Christians, we ought to know that people’s eyes are on us. We represent Christ, and our actions should be blameless before others: “That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

Is it aligned with God?

The highest tier of assessing your actions is knowing that it aligns with God. God manifests Himself through His Word (the Bible), the Holy Spirit, and through the confirmation of godly men and women. It is wise to seek what God says on a specific topic, to listen to the nudging of the Holy Spirit, and to listen to the advice of Christian elders.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26).

“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14).

Do not stumble by winning people

Maybe the key takeaway is that it is good to “blend in” and reach out to others, but you must set holy boundaries that are acceptable in the law, in morality, but most important, in the eyes of God. Do not stumble by bending over backwards to please people and forgetting what is truly important. Instead, set yourself apart as holy yet approachable to those who are lost.


Filed Under: Guest Post

About Adam Durnham

Adam Durnham is a Christian and freelance blogger that specializes in mental health and wellness, and recovery. He currently resides in Detroit, Michigan with his dog Beignet.

I have the opportunity to go to Istanbul, Turkey this summer to minister to Syrian refugees. If you would like more details about this trip, please use this link Mark McIntyre - Istanbul, Turkey Please note that this trip is fully funded, but I would appreciate your continued prayer. The trip will take place June 27 - July 6, 2025.

Follow Attempts at Honesty

Honesty in your Inbox

Slowly learning to trust God

Learning to trust in God’s love has put me in a better position to respond to others out of love and not fear. When I respond out of love, I am a better husband, father, employee, church leader, etc.

3 Questions

Yancey’s Three Questions

Yet behind the three questions stands a person who claims to have the explanation and the answer to these questions.

Dread fear

You shall not be in dread of them

Moses said to the Israelites: “You shall not be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God.” (Deuteronomy 7:21, ESV) Yet being in dread of the Canaanites is exactly what the Israelites had experienced. They allowed their fear to overwhelm their faith. They had ample […]

Rome

Not what I would choose

In Acts 19:21, Paul expresses a desire to go to Rome as part of his missionary efforts. Paul did eventually get to Rome but it is unlikely that he envisioned that he would enter Rome as a prisoner of the state and remain there under house arrest. In the Epistles that Paul wrote while in […]

Helfpul

Maybe true but hardly helpful

I tend to hang with people who subscribe to reformed theology, which emphasizes the sovereignty of God over his creation. This should not be too surprising given that I attend a PCA church. But one of the struggles that I have with such people is that sometimes truth is given in a way that is hardly helpful.

Post Series

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series
June 2025
SMTWTFS
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930 
« May    

Categories

Archives

Blogger Grid
Follow me on Blogarama

Copyright © 2025 · Focus Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in