I am going to have to be careful not to rant in this post...(I have read it over and concluded that I have failed at not ranting)
If there is one thing in this world that makes me laugh, and my blood boil all at the same time it is this INSANE fear of culture that so many "Christians" have. (I say this as a Pastor, and follower of Christ myself)
Why do "Christians" fear ideas that differ from theirs? "they" would say...."we don't want to be corrupted"....my interpretation: "They don't realize the amazing gift that Christ has given them!!!"
They see culture as the "enemy"....that's ludicrous...We are ALL a part of this society and therefore a part of CULTURE! God never said "fear culture"....He said fear God alone...to fear God is the beginning of all wisdom!
They will say: "We are to be separate and not have a part of culture"....I say: "You are wrong, we are not to have a part of the "fruitless deeds of darkness"...the deeds! The evil that is in our culture, that is what we are not to have a part of....NOT culture and society itself!
They will refute and say: "But culture has so much evil in it; why even get close" I say: Because Christ has set me FREE from sin so that I may bring light into the darkness (which means I must go into it's midst.."expose them (the evil deeds)" And if you will separate yourself from "culture" for that reason, then you must do the same in all aspects of life that may have "evil" in them....Last I looked...even in Christian communities...within local churches, there is evil...Why have you not separated yourself from that? Within our own bodies, the flesh still exercises power...what will you do with that? The only answer for any of that is CHRIST HIMSELF...
Yet...they shun culture...therefore witholding the very thing that can free those who most need Christ!
They that fear culture, place their fear in the wrong place...and do not understand rightly the amazing gift, and therefore the amazing call that God has on their lives!
Paul made clear in Ephesians that our battle is NOT against flesh and blood...it's not against culture, or people...it's against the evil which is so prevelant around us.
Those who refuse to engage culture are selfish; they may try to take a high and mighty stance; but it is see through, and disgusting! How can you have the amazing, abundant life of Christ within you and NOT go running into the middle of our culture that God has put us in proclaiming that there is Truth, and there is Freedom, and there is Salvation! (...I convict myself as well with this last statement, because I could and should do even more) Don't take the self righteous stance of "shunning culture"...This was not the practice of Jesus, nor of his followers...why should it be ours now?!
If you have Christ in you, you have Truth, and Life, and the ONLY way to God! You have nothing to fear in this world because Christ himself has defeated it! "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light!" (Eph 5:8) Culture is NOT our enemy, it is our reality in this physical world, you are not meant to escape it...Christ wants to transform it!
I agree. John 17:15 and 18
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Kellen. We can't shy away from culture. In fact, trying to rid yourself of culture is like a fish trying to rid itself of the water it lives in. It's all around us, we are emersed in culture.
ReplyDeleteBut to put this argument into a real life situation, does this mean that we can support or watch shows that go against God's laws? What is okay and what isn't?
"...like a fish trying to rid itself of the water it lives in.." Alicia I like the way you think, haha!
ReplyDeleteAnd great question...I think applying this to particular situations gets tricky...partly because I think we want everything to be clean and clear cut, and the fact is, it is not that way...We want there to be no grey areas to work through (or we think that if there is "greyness" we somehow lose truth...I don't think that's true...Truth is Christ...it's beyond the grey (if that makes sense?) I will shirk the show question and skip to the "what is okay and what isn't" question?
Paul says "everything is permissible for me--but not everything is beneficial"--ultimately his point is we are meant for God and His glory...
"you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body (your actions, thoughts etc)" (1 Cor 6:20)
I think you are hitting the thing that many fear..that we will start saying "how much can we get away with?" Paul again says (showing the foolishness of such thinking): "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!..." (Rom 6)
We must always remember that "we must not be mastered by anything" but CHRIST alone. This is Freedom.
Thanks for bringing this to the practical...sorry for not really answering the question directly; hope you get what I'm saying...
Ultimately, "walk by the Spirit, and keep in step with the Spirit"; the Spirit will give us discernment as we go and live the life that Christ has given us.
word.
ReplyDeleteI like this post.
ReplyDeleteOut of sheer curiosity, because we've never discussed it, where do you stand on clubbing?
As this would be(to me atleast)a large part of young adult 'culture'. thoughts?