You used to live in Egypt. Don’t live the way the Egyptians do. I am bringing you to Canaan. Don’t live the way the Canaanites do. Never live by their standards. Follow my rules, and live by my standards.
Leviticus 18:3–4
The world or God—which will it be? How easy it is to listen to the ideas of the world and to fall in line with them. But the world has always had a different standard than God. What’s morally encouraged in one society is punishable by death in the next. Even the standards of purity for drinking water in your city may be more strict or lax than in the neighboring town. But God’s Word says don’t live by the standards set when you lived in Egypt, Canaan, or California, but remember you are a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. Live by those standards. You can’t allow the standards of the world to creep into the truth of Scripture.
Don’t just assume that just because you’ve heard something all your life, it’s gotta be true. That’s just plain lazy. You’ve got to learn the standards of God and test everything against God’s Word. Find out what makes him happy and what he has to say about the decisions in your life. His Word makes the standard of conduct for a God Girl clear, and though much of the Old Testament law was fulfilled by the life of Christ and so no longer applies to your life, there is still a lot in its pages to look at in the light of the cross.
Understand God’s demands on the life of a believer and his requirements for faith. See what Christ has saved you from and how much you owe him for that. Appreciate the history of our faith and the gift of God’s kindness. Read the Old Testament through the lens of the New Testament, considering how life this side of the cross is different from life before Jesus. And take into account the entirety of God’s Word as you decide what it means to be a God Girl. The truth of the Old Testament has not been rejected but has been fulfilled in the life of Christ. Learn what that means by reading your Bible. Study God’s Word and make it your way of life, and you will be blessed.