Tell me what jokes you laugh at

I will set no worthless or wicked thing before my eyes; I hate the Practice of those who fall away from the right path; It will not grasp hold of me. Psalm 101:3

 “Tell me what jokes you laugh at and I will know your heart. Tell me what you watch on tv and what you read and I will know your heart.”

Those words were uttered by the evangelist during a revival meeting to a crowd of church going people who carried their Bibles to church, tithed, never missed a service…and when he said those words the place became as quiet as a tomb. Wonder why? Ah, you’re a great guesser! You should be on Jeopardy.

It is true there are no perfect Christians and even the best of us are inconsistent at times. That includes me…and you (if you disagree we could ask your spouse or kids).

However, today’s verse should call our attention again to a very important subject: our relationship with the wicked, worthless, unholy activities and temptations that exist in the world of darkness. David sang today’s verse, including the entire song, in the Lord’s sanctuary during a church service. It is a very powerful song that we ought to sing, too. The song offers a positive response to God’s call to a life of personal holiness, shunning sin, “avoiding even the appearance of sin”—doing so not with a legalistic attitude but with an attitude that such things will insult the indwelling Holy Spirit, hinder His work in us, and restrict God’s power in us for effective Christian ministry.

“Take the high road!” said the holy man of God to the new convert, “and you will enjoy the presence of God in a mighty way.” Another said, “Give me a clean drinking glass! God asks us to give Him the same: a clean heart for His service!”

Jonathan Edwards, often credited with preaching the greatest sermon in American history (“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”) writes, “I went on with my eager pursuit after more holiness and conformity to Christ. The heaven I desired was a heaven of holiness.”

Robert Murray McCheyne adds, “Study universal holiness of life. Your whole usefulness depends on this for your sermons last but an hour or two; your life preaches all the week.”

“Take the high road!” Can anyone go wrong by choosing the high road?

Tom Swartzwelder was born again at the age of nine in an old-fashioned revival meeting. Tom received his B.A. from Tennessee Temple University and his M. Div from Luther Rice Seminary. He has pastored for nearly forty years in both bi-vocational and full-time roles. He provides practical how-to-do-ministry resources for the disciples of Jesus Christ at http://www.godsgreenhouse.net. Tom’s latest book is “God Speaks–Today!”