An Epistle Written Unto The Christians
Culture is presently defined as those customs of a particular nation or people. The definition of culture from yesteryear is the improvement of good qualities, including correction, and with an emphasis on growth. In this context, a Christian’s culture must reflect growth, but only in Christ and not in the world. The world’s culture feeds off the minds of man, which thing we know is both deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). Worldly culture consists of what man can create, exploit, achieve, and act toward. These actions can be briefly described thus:
- The creation of man is an unreliable thing, many designing destructive things, which destroy the mind and the body (Romans 1:30).
- The exploitation of man is that which is seen haunting the advanced world, which is the ability for producers to design products based on the lusts of the consumers (1 Peter 4:4).
- The achievements of man are vain, with either names, accomplishments, or both fading into obscurity as a new generation outperforms the previous one (Ecclesiastes 2:16).
- The actions of man are of sin, they cannot match those of the Son of God. The desires that drive these actions are based on personal desire for friendship, rebellion, murder, etc (James 1:14).
The key to the world’s culture is self-indulgence, the world encourages their own, “If you want it, take it.” This is against God, as we read in the fourteenth verse of the first chapter in the Book of James. Peter says that, “He that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin” (1 Peter 4:1). Dear Christian, do you enjoy the world’s culture? If one looks into the culture of the world, that which encourages self-indulgence, one can see that any excuse may be made to explain a person’s culture. Perhaps if a nation’s people act a certain violent way toward people of different ethnicities then the world may excuse it because it is simply their culture to hate ethnically different people. This is where self-indulgence leads, evidenced by the racist activist group BLM, the excuse of President Biden for China’s genocidal exploits (search for “If you know anything about Chinese history” on the White House speeches page), and teaching school age children that sexual activity with multiple people will be a normal occurrence. This is the culture of the world, it must not be the culture of Christians.
Yet there is an acceptance in the so-called Church today for stiff-necked rebels, hedonistic lifestyles, and wanton disregard for good leadership. With this prevalent issue so apparently ingrained within the minds of “churchgoers,” there is a necessity to show exactly what a Christian’s culture should be, and also explain how Christians can claim their culture back again.
Whereas the world’s culture comes from the mind of man, a Christian’s culture comes from the mind of God, which is by his Word. Before anyone can misinterpret where a Christian’s culture comes from it shall be explained simply here: the culture of Christians must come only, finally, solely, and singularly from God’s Word and that alone. Let us see what God’s Word says.
In choosing a portion of scripture that exemplifies the culture of a Christian, Hebrews chapter thirteen is exemplary. The Apostle Paul explains that brotherly love must continue, which means it must never cease. A Christian in this comfortable life must remember those Christians that are persecuted, in prison, suffering. Many may begin to understand the direct contradiction of this culture with that of self-indulgence.
Marriage is between a man and his wife, The actions of this matrimony are not judged, only the actions of adulterers and fornicators are judged. Must we continue in the culture of the world, and sin against the God that saved us? The creation of the world desires more, always more than they currently have. Yet God tells us to be content with the things he has provided for us, that we may testify of reliance in him alone.
The act of rebellion of the “church-going” congregation against the Pastors is against God’s Word, If the Pastor tells a Christian the truth from God’s Word, why must the truth not be followed? We were enemies of Christ at one time (Romans 5:10), let us not foolishly try to become enemies again. But in every word from the Pastor’s mouth a Christian must look at the end of the conversation. Is it Jesus Christ, yesterday, today and forever? It is the world’s culture to find those teachings that suit their desires, but it is the Christian’s culture to let the fleshly desires die and instead allow God to grow a Christian, mold them, and fashion them for his use as a holy vessel (2 Timothy 2:19-21).
The teachings a Christian should follow is, incidentally, part of their culture. Too many Christians desire the passing knowledge concerning the “secrets” of the Bible. Christians are led to believe that there are secrets that must be explained to them by “experts”. The Holy Ghost is our expert, and we know all things through him (1 John 2:20). God wants us to know truth, and desire the sincere milk of his Word (1 Peter 2:2). Christian, should we go above what God wants us to know? Could the vain things that we desire to know cause our own destruction? Peter said as much in 2 Peter 3:15-16. After all, we may boldly come before the throne of grace like no other people may (Hebrews 4:16), a privilege above that of the servers of the tabernacle, for Jesus Christ has sanctified us with his own blood. We must therefore follow him and not be taken with divers lusts.
Christian culture is incompatible with the world’s desire for personal glory through lasting achievement, for we seek a city to come. While we are here, we give thanks and praise to God, and we do all things for him, and to his glory. Obedience to our Pastors, elders, parents, are part of the Christian’s culture. This is in stark contrast to the endless rebellion of the world.
Prayer for one another is paramount in the Christian’s culture. How is it that meditation has been assimilated by the world for their own devilish uses? We pray and ask God for mercy, grace, and help in every trial. We pray because we have an advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1). The world has stolen the Christian’s culture, and the Christians follow the changes the world has made to it! A Christian who practices yoga, for instance, has been taken in the world’s culture. Will we pray that God might make us perfect in the work he has for us to do?
You see how large a letter is written about the culture of a Christian. God told us exactly what our culture should be. The inventions of men turn Christians’ hearts away from God. The video games, movies, and television determine what kind of mind Christians have if they subject themselves to these things. The exploits of men bind hearts with vices that are hardly loosened. The sex-crazed, gluttonous “productivity” will tighten its grip on every Christian’s heart if they let it. The achievements of this world will take the Christian’s eyes off of the victory in Christ if they desire it. And the actions of the world, their encouragement of self-indulgence, will tear apart a Christian’s joy in Christ, but only if they let it. Dear heart, what kind of culture do you have, and what kind of culture do you want?
Grace be with you all. Amen.
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