Teach --- Learn---- Do

Ezekiel 44:23   (Concerning the priests)
And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

Old Testament instruction. Hard core. Not much wiggle room when it come to following God.
Do or don't do. But whichever one you chose to follow, there were blessings or curses depending on your choice.
God makes it clear that the people need to be taught....instructed...shown to recognize the difference between holy and profane.
Holy (from Strongs Concordance) means: apartness /  sacredness /  separateness /  This is related to the apartness of God /  the sacredness of God . It also applies to places and things.
In other words, the people were instructed into a new way of looking at life and of living it.

Profane (from Strongs Concordance) means: that which is impure both ethically and religiously. That which would denigrate the name and person of God.

So we have all this instruction. Old Testament instruction. For this very reason, that it is found in the Old Testament, I think somehow we New Testament believers loose track of God's expectations for us as a people.
I know that we are under a new covenant that Jesus ushered in with His death and resurrection.
I know that we are under grace.
But I think we are getting lost in the simple fact that this new covenant does not allow for subjective discernment of what we can and cannot do. In other words, some are using their belief in ways that are self-centered and have no regard for others. The thought is, "I'm saved....I'm free...Now my behavior isn't the real issue."I'm not talking about open, blatant sin...but the sin that comes the way it's described in James 4:17 ...."Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it..it is sin." Did you catch that? Knowing that I am suppose to do something and that it fall under the "good" category (as given by God)...I don't do it (Wilful disobedience) therefore it is sin.

Let me assure you that I am not holding a stone in my hand, anxious to cast it at anyone and cry out "heretic!"
But what I am beginning to see is that this freedom that I have found in Jesus....
This new life that is ongoing and changing as God works in me and through me....
Turns my focus outward in every area of my life.
No more navel-gazing. No more "Bless me and forget about the others" mentality.
No longer do I have the right of assumption that I come first.
I no longer live to please myself, but to please God.

Romans 14:13
Therefore, let us stop passing judgement on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.
V.19
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

In other words, don't use your liberty in Christ to do something or act in a way that would cause others to stumble ( a.k.a sin or, even worse...loose their faith and trust in Jesus because of something they saw me do or heard me say.)
Christ did not die and give us His liberty to be selfish and forsake others.
To me, this me-first attitude would be the most profane thing we could bring into our sanctuaries.
In some ways, the Church has become a big-grace-filled-free-for-all-anything-goes-in-Jesus-name.
I have heard several ministers and speakers make the statement that we have been "taught to death." I've even made that statement in some of my messages years ago. And now, I am having to repent for saying such a thing.
The real trouble is, we may have been taught to death, but we haven't learned anything. We don't even study the Word any more. We may read it. We may do a daily devotion, but have we actually done a study?Relationship with Christ is not a pick and choose or make it up life. It is a life of following. We simply follow. We don't lead. We don't direct. We don't call the shots. We follow. And if we aren't following, then we are in error and we are wrong. For me and my own life, it's very simple. I'm either following God, or I have managed to someway take back over control of my life and am calling the shots. Scary part is I can live in this manner and actually think I am following God. That is why I need to be taught. Taught the Word of God. Not pop-psychology or social gospel. I told you God was really dealing with me about how much of my time, not to mention His, I waste by not following His directive.

We may be taught to death, but our lives reflect a spiritual vacuum that needs to be filled.
We cry out for God to bless us.....
We hold tight our money and keep it from Him because we don't trust Him enough to meet our needs.
"Michael! That's harsh!" Sorry. It's the truth. How can I say that? Because I have been there and done that.
It wasn't until I was lead to place where there wasn't any money that I found the value of trusting God.
We like receiving, but how we hate to turn loose and give. God's heart is to free us from the fear of not having. But to trust Him in every area of our lives.

You want to see Christ really move in your church?
Start giving! Start helping the poor with more than some crackers and beannie weenines (not that they don't need those, they do!). 
Unless I realize, under the direction of my pastor and God's Holy Spirit, the difference between that which is holy and that which is profane, I don't know that I'll ever grow. I will continue to live and breath in a diluted, made up kind of Christianity that makes me feel good.

God on you.....
mb