Does it seem to you that we
as Christians are having much success influencing our world for the better
today? We look at what is going on in this country; abortion on demand,
homosexual marriage, out of wedlock children, unimaginable violence and on and
on and we must ask ourselves, “Are we having any influence at all?”
Why is it that we don’t seem
to have the effect that we desire on our society? As we look at this subject
with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I hope to shed some light and encourage
and challenge us to do a better job.
We need to start by
apprehending a couple of basic truths:
1.
There
are really only two types of people in the world. Those who are born again and
have the Spirit of the Living God in them and those who do not.
2.
If
they do not have the Spirit of God, then their world view will be opposing
yours and they cannot understand why you think so differently from them.
Don’t agree? Look at what
Paul says in 1 Cor 2:14. “But a natural man does not accept the things
of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand
them, because they are spiritually appraised.”
You see a non believer is
going to reason according to their world view, which is the polar opposite of a
Christian world view. Take a look at
this side by side comparison and see if you can get an idea of what I mean:
God =accountability No
God=no accountability
Creation Evolution/Humanism
Absolute Truth No
absolute truth
Moral certainty (Biblically) Moral
relativity, situational ethics
Jesus=Savior, Lord, God Jesus=
good moral teacher if he
existed at all
You can see why the non believer, with this
world view, can justify all kinds of behavior that we would call ungodly or
sin. After all, if there is no God to be accountable to, then I only have to
worry about man and his ideas of right and wrong. If we are just a cosmic
accident and evolved from some lower life form, then we could not have any real
purpose in life. If that is the case, we might as well indulge in every
physical pleasure there is.
The narrative usually then
goes something like this, “sex, it’s just filling a biological urge so what
does it matter who or what you engage with and why should it just be reserved
for marriage. No one can actually tell me what I can or can’t do because what
may be right or wrong for you is not necessarily right or wrong for me. Lying,
stealing, and cheating? Sometimes those are wrong but in other cases it might
be right. What about people that are hungry? Isn’t it ok if they steal some
food? Why should I tell my wife that I had an affair, wouldn’t that just hurt
her? Why shouldn’t I have an abortion, after all we don’t want more unloved and
unwanted children in the world, right?”
I could go on and on but I
think you get the idea. This type of world view, one that eliminates God and
the Bible is bound to come up with answers and solutions to life that make no
sense to us.
1 Cor 3: says, “For the wisdom
of this world is foolishness before God.”
But, if you are going to have
some influence in the world, you must understand the worldly point of view and
why non believers think the way they do. If you don’t then you will find it
impossible to communicate with them. This is what Paul meant when he said in 1
Cor 9:22, “ To the weak I became weak, that I might
win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means
save some. “
You might be asking right
now, “Why does all this even matter to me? I just want to go about my business
and leave others alone.”
Well, maybe you have noticed
that this world view, which has been perpetuated in public education and
institutions of “higher learning” for over 40 years has not exactly led us to
the highly evolved utopia that its’ endorsers have promised. Let’s look at a
comparison that might put this in perspective. This list was posted in Readers
digest a few years ago.
Top ten lists of discipline
issues in school (I extracted only seven, couldn’t take much more)
1940
1. Talking out of turn
2. Chewing gum
3. Making noise.
4. Running in the halls.
5. Cutting in line
6.Dressing code infractions.
7. Littering.
1990
1. Drug abuse
2. Alcohol abuse
3. Pregnancy
1. Talking out of turn
2. Chewing gum
3. Making noise.
4. Running in the halls.
5. Cutting in line
6.Dressing code infractions.
7. Littering.
1990
1. Drug abuse
2. Alcohol abuse
3. Pregnancy
4. Suicide.
5. Rape.
6. Robbery
7. Assault
5. Rape.
6. Robbery
7. Assault
And please, let’s not make any moral judgments concerning these
issues. After all, we could not possibly look at the fact that in the 1960’s we
took God out of the classroom, threw out any restraint on sexual behavior,
tossed the idea that marriage between a man and a woman before having children
was a good idea, gave up on respect for authority and accountability of parents
or having to take personal responsibility for one’s actions. None of these things could possibly have
anything to do with this out of control behavior, right?
About two thousand years ago, the apostle Paul wrote concerning
the state of the society he lived in.
Rom 1:18-32
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made
it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible
attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being
understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For
even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but
they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the
incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and
four-footed animals and crawling creatures. 24 Therefore God gave them over in
the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored
among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and
served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26
For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged
the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also
the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire
toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in
their own persons the due penalty of their error. 28 And just as they did not
see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind,
to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all
unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit,
malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant,
boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding,
untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of
God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do
the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
Sound
familiar? Sure seems to describe the world we live in today, does it not? We need to understand that those without the Spirit of
God will not agree with us about
these issues and trying to convince them that our value system is better can be
pretty fruitless. Just as in Paul’s day, there are many people whom God has
“given over” to their depraved minds.
“But, you ask, didn’t Jesus
tell us to be salt and light in this world? So don’t we have to keep trying to
convince them that they are wrong?”
I am glad you asked that
because that is our text for the rest of this message which will be continued
in part 2.
Thank you for reading and God
bless you,
Coach
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