As human beings, we are created
with the capacity to differentiate, and segregate. Our senses help us in this endeavor. We can differentiate between light and
darkness, by using our eyes. We can tell
the difference between a flower and manure by using our nose; rough and smooth,
cold and hot; human beings can differentiate and naturally segregate the things
in this life. Furthermore, we also have
the capacity to differentiate and segregate ourselves (as well as others). Most of us understand society and social
norms, the characteristics of one group verse the other; therefore, we can
choose to: dress, act, and carry ourselves to “fit in” with such group. Thereby we associate or not associate with a
certain group or class. We can also form
alliances that will include certain people, and exclude others. We alone hold the key to segregation which is
our choices.
In
the 26th chapter of Matthew, Peter the disciple denied Jesus three times (Peter
the Apostle preach boldly and eventually died for him). Jesus was about to be arrested and crucified,
and he told his disciples that they would all forsake him when that time
came. Peter responded that he would not
forsake Christ; furthermore he would die with him. At the time he said it, I believe that Peter
believed that promise with all his heart; but he didn’t have the Holy Ghost
power to fulfill it. I would submit to
you that there are many Christian out there today in a similar state. They want to follow Jesus, but are doing so
without the Holy Ghost power, and finding only that they can’t keep their
promises. Once Peter said he would die
with Jesus, Jesus, knowing the future, responded that before the cock crows
Peter will deny him three times. Not to
long after, Peter did as was foretold.
Peter was accused of being a friend of Jesus and he denied it; after two
more accusations, Peter curse and swore that he did not know Jesus. Why did he do that? Why would he curse? Why would he swear that he didn’t know
Jesus? I mean to say, why take that
measure? To segregate, and
differentiate. Peter was full of
carnality and without the strength the stand, when the testing time came he
denied Christ. The crowd continued to
say “you know the man”, so he began to use those human instinct’s to
differentiate himself from Jesus. He
wanted to make sure that those people would not associate him with Jesus. Simply saying I know not the man was not
enough, he had to carry himself into the depths of worldliness and sinfulness;
cursing and swearing, proving with all that he could that he was not like
Jesus. They would have known that Jesus
didn’t use language like that, they would have known that Jesus didn’t act like
that. The choice that Peter made, by
simply cussing, made him. It made him
like the world, and not like Christ.
The
choices we make will make us; and in doing so segregate us. We can be segregated from Christ and
associated with the world; or we can be married to Christ and segregated from
the world. However, you cannot be both. Peter eventually fulfilled his promise, but
only after the Holy Spirit came in. If
you want to serve God, you need the Holy Ghost dwelling in your heart; it’s
that simple. Without it, you will
crumble when the testing times come.
When you choose to give it all to Christ and invite the Holy Ghost in
your heart, he then can guide all other choices; he can help you segregate
yourself from the world and bring you further and further into fellowship with
Christ. You will then love God and love
your neighbor, which will abolish unholy segregation (i.e. clicks, racism,
social status) and promote proper segregation, good differentiation; from the
world, the flesh, and the devil.
