We live in an age of social upheaval. Some of it may be good, but I don't think most of it, especially within the church is good. I can't speak for the world. The world will do as it will, because the world is under the authority of the Rebellion of the Prince of the Air. I shouldn't be surprised at anything that happens in the world, yet in the church, the world is creeping in. Many Christian Ministries and churches seem to have lost their first love. Sure, they feed the sick, they seek justice, and do so many things for people, but our works do not make us pure in God's sight. Our works cannot appease God one bit. And, for all their good works, many ministries, whether from social pressures, or otherwise, are beginning to move away from some of the Scriptures, saying "They applied in a different context, they don't apply now." These ministries are seeking to cure cultural ills with worldly means, and it's sickening their walk with Christ. Our works cannot save us, we should not make the Gospel attractive to the rest of the world. We cannot save ourselves. It is the righteousness of Christ that saves us.
And so I urge you, brothers and sisters (and me too), to stop focusing on fixing societal problems. We can't. We can't destroy inequality, racism, misogynies, or any of the other things that society cries "foul" over. Why? We're not called to. We're not equipped to. We're not called to preach against it! If we could fix the world's problems, then why did Jesus have to die? And therein lies the main issue: we can't focus on society and cultural problems, we must focus on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the Gospel that changes us, or does not, based upon the hardness of our hearts, and the drawing of the Holy Spirit. We are dead in our sins (Rebellion, Ephesians 2:1). There is no hope within ourselves for salvation. Yet Christ came and lived as we SHOULD have lived, perfectly obedient to the Father, living the full and abundant life God had designed for us. Yet, He was despised and rejected by men (Isaiah 53:3), and turned over to the hands of sinners by His own (Luke 24:7), beaten, bruised, and bloodied, then nailed to a tree, taking the penalty for our sin on to Himself, for the penalty of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Yet, though he was buried for 3 days, He rose again, nullifying the penalty for our sin! He conquered both sin and death, which we deserve, and gives us the opportunity for full life here and now, and eternal life when our sinful, rebellious bodies wear out. THIS is the main thing, THIS has the power to change, THIS is foolishness to those who are perishing. And, this is what we should focus on. Jesus will remove, through His Holy Spirit, the things that offend Him as we come close to Him. He will remove from us, without our help, the racism, sexism, and other isms we focus on. We have to live obedient to His word, removing all outside opinions (including our own). We have to keep the main thing the main thing. 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Comments