Change your conduct, or change your name!

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing." (I Timothy 6:12-14)

A short story: In the time of Alexander the Great (230 BC?), there was a soldier, found guilty of deserting the Greek army. Brought before King Alexander, the king asked him, what his name was. As was customary, the man replied, "I...m a...soldier (trembling in fear)." The king replied "What?" Again the man told him. "No, no" the king said, "Either change your conduct...or change your name!"

When I read about this in a book not too long ago ("Led by the Carpenter" by James Kennedy-let me know if you want to borrow it!), it made me think about my own conduct as a Christian. It puts our own behavior in perspective, when we realize that everything we do represents God. Which is why false believer should do much to either change their conduct, or change their name! The name of God has been blasphemed for millennia, from 'christian' imperialists who wiped out native populations, to 'believers' so intolerant of other faiths they would massacre them (ie Henry VIII). Not that we should turn from God because we are not invincible--no we should desire Him all the more!