Cultural Issues
Cultural issues are something that every Christian in every country will have to face at one time or another as they live in the ungodly societies that permeate the world today. Heritage and history that are founded on principles other than the Bible are wrought with ideals and traditions that are far from the commandments of God. Christians are called to live in the world, but not be of the world, meaning that they are to penetrate the darkness with their light, but not let the darkness dim their brightness or extinguish the flame altogether. From the beginning of the creation of a holy race, God's people have struggled with overcoming bad influence and not participating in the practices of the world around them. There are plenty of examples of failures listed throughout the Bible and when we struggle with the issues that our world today deems acceptable, we can use the Bible to teach us about the consequences of flirting with the world. We find, time and again, that we are not nearly so strong as we think and that succumbing to peer pressures, bad influences, worldly successes, and selfish ambitions always leads us away from God instead of closer to Him.
The truth is that many of the hot topics that are debated today are not specifically addressed in the Bible. But godly principles and God's desires for His people are made perfectly clear in the Word of God and we can take these principles and desires and apply them in any circumstance we face today. This includes the much debated cultural issues of tattoos, body piercings, materialism, and the new wave of Christian rock music. Digging deep into the Word is exactly what the Lord desires of us, so in this sense the debating and seeking has had somewhat of a positive result if indeed those who consider such search the Word of God before partaking. First and foremost, Christians must remember that their allegiance is to God and their purpose in life is to bring Him glory. One must ask oneself if everything they do, say, or even think brings glory to God. "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him" (Colossians 3:17). Secondly, one must ask oneself why he or she is making a decision to participate in an activity or cultural trend that is the subject of much debate. God is the One who judges the heart and not just the action, so any actions made from half-baked decisions or attempts to fit into a culture are not acceptable. To find out about other issues and what the Bible has to say about each, visit our Bible resources.
One of the greatest Christian arguments for taking part in traditions or activities that are considered by the majority as non-Christian activities is the argument of fitting in to a social group for the purpose of reaching the lost. While this may be a perfectly good argument if a missionary in Africa is observing cultural dress in order to not offend the host people group, it is doubtful that any missionary would honor this practice if the cultural dress meant to, well, undress. We can certainly demonstrate our respect without compromising our values. And, it will be wise to remember that God never once needed any of His children to compromise holy commands in order to win a soul for the Lord. The Bible teaches that it is the Holy Spirit that draws people to the Lord, and that man is privileged to take part in the process of spreading the gospel. God would never draw the soul of one person to Himself at the risk of harming another. We must keep God in God's place of sovereignty when making excuses for compromising our values.
The Word of God tells us that God chose a people to call His own and that He severed these people from other nations. At this point, God gave the chosen race an entire new set of rules to live by so that these people would demonstrate to the world the awesome acts of a Holy God. And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine" (Leviticus 20:26). We are set apart from the world, not joined with it. This is by no means a fact to be arrogant about, but one of humility and respect, as we leave the things of the world behind and follow, faithfully in humble submission, after our God. Cultural issues become not so much about rules, but about demonstrating the love of God and also the respect of God in everything we do.
The Bible tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. That everything God created was good at the completion of that creative genius. Perhaps we can take this principle to heart in when considering our bodies, which we are also told are now the very temple in which a holy God dwells. We can bear this truth in mind in everything that we expose ourselves to as well, including entertainment, be it under the secular or Christian banner. Remember, if an activity or action does not bring the Lord glory, it does not need to be considered. To learn what the Bible says about the hot topics of cultural issues today, take the quiz linked above.
The truth is that many of the hot topics that are debated today are not specifically addressed in the Bible. But godly principles and God's desires for His people are made perfectly clear in the Word of God and we can take these principles and desires and apply them in any circumstance we face today. This includes the much debated cultural issues of tattoos, body piercings, materialism, and the new wave of Christian rock music. Digging deep into the Word is exactly what the Lord desires of us, so in this sense the debating and seeking has had somewhat of a positive result if indeed those who consider such search the Word of God before partaking. First and foremost, Christians must remember that their allegiance is to God and their purpose in life is to bring Him glory. One must ask oneself if everything they do, say, or even think brings glory to God. "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him" (Colossians 3:17). Secondly, one must ask oneself why he or she is making a decision to participate in an activity or cultural trend that is the subject of much debate. God is the One who judges the heart and not just the action, so any actions made from half-baked decisions or attempts to fit into a culture are not acceptable. To find out about other issues and what the Bible has to say about each, visit our Bible resources.
One of the greatest Christian arguments for taking part in traditions or activities that are considered by the majority as non-Christian activities is the argument of fitting in to a social group for the purpose of reaching the lost. While this may be a perfectly good argument if a missionary in Africa is observing cultural dress in order to not offend the host people group, it is doubtful that any missionary would honor this practice if the cultural dress meant to, well, undress. We can certainly demonstrate our respect without compromising our values. And, it will be wise to remember that God never once needed any of His children to compromise holy commands in order to win a soul for the Lord. The Bible teaches that it is the Holy Spirit that draws people to the Lord, and that man is privileged to take part in the process of spreading the gospel. God would never draw the soul of one person to Himself at the risk of harming another. We must keep God in God's place of sovereignty when making excuses for compromising our values.
The Word of God tells us that God chose a people to call His own and that He severed these people from other nations. At this point, God gave the chosen race an entire new set of rules to live by so that these people would demonstrate to the world the awesome acts of a Holy God. And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine" (Leviticus 20:26). We are set apart from the world, not joined with it. This is by no means a fact to be arrogant about, but one of humility and respect, as we leave the things of the world behind and follow, faithfully in humble submission, after our God. Cultural issues become not so much about rules, but about demonstrating the love of God and also the respect of God in everything we do.
The Bible tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. That everything God created was good at the completion of that creative genius. Perhaps we can take this principle to heart in when considering our bodies, which we are also told are now the very temple in which a holy God dwells. We can bear this truth in mind in everything that we expose ourselves to as well, including entertainment, be it under the secular or Christian banner. Remember, if an activity or action does not bring the Lord glory, it does not need to be considered. To learn what the Bible says about the hot topics of cultural issues today, take the quiz linked above.
Cultural Issues
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