Wed, May 18th - 4:41AM

Christians & The World

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."(Romans 12:2)

All too often modern Christians put culture and trends above Scripture, and submit to the indoctrination of the society in which they live and adapt to its cultural expectations and values. Many Christians readily accept an unscriptural or anti-biblical teaching or theory as truth because it is considered new or modern or is endorsed by the world and easily dismiss a Bible teaching as wrong or irrelevant if it is considered old-fashioned or unpopular. Many insist that the Holy Bible is not infallible or the final authority or that the Bible only applies to the religious (church-related) part of our lives and does not apply to our secular lives. The reasons that most professed Christians give for their beliefs and convictions demonstrate an adaptation to culture above Scripture. The teachings taught in most churches regarding what is true or false, moral or immoral, or proper or improper demonstrate an adaptation to culture above Scripture. Many churches teach that the Bible must be interpreted according to culture, thus giving self, feelings, sentiment, and the world an authority which they deny God. (Psalm 33:4,10-11; Proverbs 3:5-7; Jeremiah 6: 16,19; 8:8-9; I Corinthians 1:20; 2:5; Colossians 1:9; 2:8; II Timothy 2:14-15; 3:16) Many have adopted the belief or attitude that Satan rules the Earth. (Satan rules in the hearts of unbelievers, "the wicked world system," but God is the present ruler of the Earth and nothing in the Bible indicates that God abdicated His throne and turned His authority over to Satan.) Many teach that the Bible is only for Christians and has no relevance to society or unbelievers. (The Bible is God's message to all mankind and provides guidance on every area of human existence. Applying Bible teachings benefits both believers and unbelievers. The important difference is that for the unbeliever the Word of God is convicting and for the believer the Word of God is cleansing.) Many insist that it is wrong for a Christian (especially a preacher) to hold a public office or otherwise try to influence society for righteousness. (Daniel 2:48-49; Matthew 5:13-16; I Timothy 2:1-2; etc... In other words, the world should influence believers instead of the other way around. Biblical separation is godly distinctions, conduct, and relationships within society and not isolation from society or neutrality concerning politics or community affairs) Many adopt a Devil-May-Care attitude toward the society in which we live. (Psalm 119:53,136,158; I Timothy 2:1-4) Often those who claim liberty from within and are supposed to have internal dominion over sin through faith in Jesus Christ find their lives are out of control in the external world. (John 8:36; Romans 6:11)

This is the reverse of what Christians ought to be. Christians should not be dominated by history, trends, culture, or society; they should be shaping these according to God's will. (II Corinthians 10:4-6; I John 5:4)