morals – Moment to Moment (Bible blog)

Why we cannot follow this world

We live in a time when we as Christians are urged to follow the thinking of the world, particularly when it comes to moral issues.

We are urged to compromise on what the Bible teaches and to get on “the right side of history.”

But that is something we dare not do.

Why?

Look at how Paul describes this world.

Their thoughts are futile. (Ephesians 4:17)

They have hearts hardened and calloused against God.

Because of that, their understanding has become darkened and they are excluded from the life of God. (18-19)

They are deceived by their own desires. They actually think that what is evil in God’s sight is good. They actually celebrate what God calls evil.

The result? Their lives have become corrupted, and they are headed for destruction. (22)

And so Paul charges us: “Don’t be like them.”

Rather, we must put off their way of thinking and put on our new self, “one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.” (24)

So when you are tempted to bend the teaching of Scripture to match the teaching of this world, remind yourself of the true situation of the people of this world.

Pray for them.

Be light to them.

But do not be like them.

Rather be like our Savior, who loves us and gave his life on a cross so that we might find true life.

Who we sound like

I wish I could give a whole message on John 4, because there’s a lot of good stuff here. But let me focus on one thing.

John says,

They (the false prophets) are from the world. Therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them.

We (the apostles) are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from God does not listen to us.

This is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception. (1 John 4:5-6)

Think about what John is saying. John says, “Whoever listens to the apostles’ teaching is from God. Anyone who does not follow the apostles’ teaching is not from God.”

Either John is being very arrogant here, or he is telling the truth.

And how you answer that question will determine your worldview.

The world is changing around us. And not for the better. What used to be clear-cut in terms of right and wrong, has now been made foggy by the world.

And when it comes to morals, Christians left and right are starting to sound more and more like the world.

“The apostles didn’t understand what we do now, so what they say doesn’t apply anymore. They were just ignorant, biased Jews. We’re are more enlightened now.”

Some even talk as if Jesus and his apostles contradicted each other in their teachings.

But John says, “Do you want to know the difference between truth and deception? The standard is our teaching.”

Question: When it comes to morals, when it comes to truth, who do you sound more like? The world? Or the apostles? Whose worldview are you accepting? The world’s? Or the apostles’?