Christianity Can Be Bought?

Numbers 23:26 KJV

But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?

The story of Balaam and Balak reads just about like it was written today. The world recognizes power in faith.

• Medical facilities, though usually not being believers, do see that the faith of those that believe aids in healing
• Politicians, though not believers themselves, have often acknowledged the power of faith to make good citizens

Balak could not deny that Balaam's faith was powerful. But Balak had an agenda other than believing in Balaam's God. Balak wanted to use his faith rather than to join in with it. 

I believe that Balaam contributed to Balak's pragmatic view of faith

Who knows what Balaam's testimony was prior to this account? Balak was aware of Balaam and was aware that those Balak blessed were blessed indeed. Perhaps Balaam had given other indications of willingness to compromise his faith prior to this. Balak certainly believed Balaam could be bought. Balaam almost surely had given Balak reason to believe that. 

I think many people in our world see that same thing with Christianity

They have witnessed enough professing Christians compromise their faith for worldly gain that, though they would not deny there is something to Christianity, they know they can use Christians for their own means. 

• Politicians who court one sector of Christianity or another for their vote
• Medical clinics who advertise that they use spiritual means, among other things, to bring about healing
• News channels that report stories of faith 

And in every case it is not because they are believers but because they see a benefit in using believers for their own means. 

The only answer to this situation is a difficult one to buy in our day. We must come out from among them and be separate. We must refuse to be used by the world because we don't want anything from the world. 

Only then can our faith really gain respect from those who are not believers.