NOT LOVING
1John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions--is not from the Father but is from the world. (17) And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Culture – culture – culture – culture . . . . . . . . .
Wow – we’re really concerned with our “culture.” Why?
This is a strong statement but – well, “I could not care less!”
Why do we feel so deeply about our culture? It’s all gonna burn anyway.
We talk of “Christian America” but that can only apply to Christians who also happen to be Americans.
We talk about entertainment, education, etc., as though they were the enemy. They are not. They are neutral. It is what is done with and through them that is the issue.
Eph 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Hello???? Anybody home???
1John 5:19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
To say, “The world is going to hell in a hand basket,” is correct.
There is us and there is them. We are not them and they are not us. They are under the dominion of the devil; we are under the Lordship of the Redeemer.
Why are we sooooooooooooo focused on the culture? There is nothing going on in the “world” that has not been going on since the Fall. Why are we getting so worked up about it to the detriment of our growth in Him?
Are we so astonished that the unbelieving world which is under the control (temporarily) of “the rulers, the authorities, the cosmic powers over this present darkness, the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places,” is vile and getting more vile every second?
Are we “called,” and “commissioned,” to change it? I’m gonna have to have chapter and verse on that!
When did the church quit following all the “one anothers” in the Scriptures and get so hung up on fighting the culture?
We have three “adversaries,” the world, the flesh and the devil.
We are to be “in” and not “of” the world.
We are to battle the flesh.
We are to resist the devil.
It seems to me that we find it awfully convenient to fight a war against the world while paying little attention to the flesh and the devil. We tend to ignore/excuse the flesh and poo-poo the devil.
It is a three pronged circumstance. Two adversaries without and one adversary within.
Fundamentally, we are called to be holy. Period. Our goal is:
Eph 4:12-16 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, (13) until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, (14) so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (15) Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, (16) from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
However, examine the books in a “Christian” book store, listen to “Christian” radio, watch “Christian” TV. Is what we find there what we see in Eph. 4?
We, individually and collectively, are to be growing more like Him. Are we? Or are we so focused on sin that we have forgotten to grow in saintliness? Are we so absorbed with our individual little soap boxes that we are missing the mission? Are we so distracted by culture that we have forgotten Christ-likeness?
We are to “make disciples.”
Does it not concern you that while our brothers and sisters in totalitarian countries strive to live for Him, we strive to force our beliefs on everyone else?
What does “in” not “of” the world look like?
Jesus said that where our treasure is so is our heart. What does that it mean when we expend so great a treasure in effort, time and money opposing sin in the world?
It is very clear to the world what we stand against. We scream it from the roof tops. What is not clear is what we stand for. We love the specks – we avoid the logs. We use the Word as a mirror for the world when it is to be a mirror for us alone.
We take political and philosophical and scientific positions; we entrench and wage a defensive battle against whatever and whoever does not agree with our belief. Why? What can they do to the believer?
Oh, I remember; it’s about the future of the culture. Well, the future of the culture is very very clear in scripture. Are we called to stop it? Hinder it? Only in so far as we make disciples!
We are called to be light – actually having been called we ARE light. Light doesn’t “do” anything to dispel darkness – that is simply its nature. The light can be dim or bright but it does what it does. Our “light” should be gaining brightness – but we have somehow misplaced the switch, bought baskets too. We are more concerned with opposing the darkness than we are with being light in the darkness.
2Co 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. (4) For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. (5) We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
Certainly we need to be aware of the sin in and of the world/culture. But that awareness should be directed at “taking thought captive to obey Christ.” Also, we are commanded to make disciples.
We are not the conscience of the world, though our presence should positively affect it. But, when we cry out against injustice and evil we have to be very clear that it is from a position as believers and is solely supported by the Word of God.
Someone mentioned the Scopes Monkey Trial the other day. We lost that one. Why? Because truth was spoken to a lie and the lie (evidences presented for evolution) was believed where Scripture was not. Given time the lies that survived the Scopes Trial became the Holocaust and that lie survives today in the idea of abortion being OK and euthanasia being an acceptable alternative (not to mention all the genetic stuff which some hope to use as justification for euthanizing embryos and those who don’t have a “good” quality of life).
We, the Church, must be faithful to the faith and our calling. It just seems to me that in taking the fight to the culture we have left our back door unguarded. Folks are slipping out and folks are slipping in.
The Church is another name for the Kingdom of God here and now. We are to live in that Kingdom under His Kingship. Where are we told to attack that other Kingdom? Where are we told to take the fight to them?
I’m sorry if this offends. But it just seems to me that the Church has gotten side-tracked, diverted, even distracted from her purpose. Culture, for me, is just another way of saying, “not the church.” For me, the lines have been disastrously blurred. We may not have lost our first love but we have abandoned our great commission.
Many believers have indeed been called to address the culture. I don’t dispute that. But addressing the culture separated from the purpose (the Great Commission) is vain.
The “world” is passing away. We need to make disciples and wave bye-bye.
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