“That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world”
The second standard that will contravene a poor testimony is that a believer should become “harmless.” The Philippian church was not a “shining light” (v.15) in the world. Therefore, non-Christians were not attracted to the Lord.
“that you may become . . . harmless”
“Harmless” means pure or unadulterated. This word was used in the first century for diluted wine. Often, an ancient tavern keeper would dilute his drinks with water after his customer would become inebriated. Drunken taste buds were not as keen. Such a barkeeper was called a huckster.
The opposite of a huckster is a genuine person. The believer should not water his life down with the energy of the flesh. This same word was used in Matthew 10:16: “Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” This does not mean that the believer is naive but is to be authentic or bona fide in his Christian walk.
PRINCIPLE:
A believer should live an unadulterated life, a genuine life unmixed with signals that go in opposite directions at once.
APPLICATION:
It is a great mistake for a person to believe that he must experience evil to know it. God’s value is genuineness, freedom from the mixture of the flesh, which will send a consistent signal to those without Christ.
