Faithfulness in a Fallen World

Let me begin by asking you a quick question. Would you consider any of these places to be a Christian environment?

·      Your workplace

·      Your child’s school

·      Your local Wal-Mart

·      Your local fitness gym

·      Your local movie theater

Sure, there are Christian businesses, Christian schools, and even Christian movies. But when we take a second to look around us, wherever we may be, it is easy to see that we live in a fallen world. We sin. Others around us sin. We let each other down. Most of all, we let God down.

But as believers, we are called to faithfully follow our Savior in the midst of this fallen world. So how do we do that? Let’s think about the story of Daniel and his three friends and find a few pointers…

According to Daniel 1:3-4, Daniel was a young Jewish man from a royal family. His life was turned upside down when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem and led Daniel and many others into exile. In Babylon, he and several others were chosen by the one of the king’s officials to be taught the Babylonian language and literature. Basically, they wanted to convert these young men. They wanted to steal their allegiance away from the Lord and turn it to the king.

How would Daniel and his three friends react in this foreign land, surrounded by these powerful people? Would they change their allegiance, or would they remain faithful to their God?

The first test they faced concerned the food they ate. The Babylonians tried to feed them royal food from the king’s table, but Daniel would not accept it because it was in violation of Old Testament dietary laws. Instead, he requested that they be fed vegetables and water, which of course made them healthier than the others.

The second test they faced concerned the first and second commandments: not having any other gods and not worshipping idols. When King Nebuchadnezzar made a towering gold statue and commanded everyone to bow down and worship it, Daniel’s three friends refused. As a result, they were thrown into a furnace heated seven times hotter than normal. But as you know, the Lord protected them and they survived.

We read about another test Daniel faced in chapter 6. By this time he had interpreted many of the king’s dreams, had been made one of three administrators over the country, and was very well-known. But because of his success and popularity with the king, Daniel’s co-workers despised him and they devised a plan to trap him. Knowing that Daniel prayed to God often, they convinced King Darius to sign an edict stating that anyone who prays to any god or man besides the king would be thrown into the lions’ den. But did that stop Daniel from praying to God? No way! He continued to pray three times a day, just as he had done before. And when he was thrown into the lions’ den, God shut the lions’ mouths and protected him.

So what can we learn from Daniel and his friends?

1. It is possible to remain faithful. This doesn’t mean it’s always easy, but it is possible.

2. We can be in the world, but not of it. Daniel and his friends were immersed in the Babylonian culture, including the worship of idols. They lived with the people and worked with the people, but did not give in to the sinful ways of the people.

3. God blesses us when we are faithful. Daniel 1:21 tells us that Daniel served in the king’s court “until the first year of King Cyrus.” Cyrus was a Persian king, which means that by being faithful to God, Daniel outlived the Babylonian empire! God blessed Daniel with wisdom, insight, and a long, fruitful life.

I’m sure that at times Daniel and his friends found it challenging to remain faithful. But they didn’t let the world around them dictate who they were and what they did. As we live in this fallen world, you and I must follow suit. Instead of letting the world around us change us, we need to let God and His Word change us.

Let me leave you with some instruction from 1 John 2:15-17. “Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For everything that belongs to the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s lifestyle—is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does God’s will remains forever.”