Read Luke 19:45-48
Our Culture Is NOT What Defines Truth.
When Jesus entered the temple courts, he found the people selling animals for sacrifices. They would cheat and take advantage of the people by jacking up the prices. What’s worse, they did it within the temple that was supposed to be a place for prayer and worship. Jesus confronted them for making the temple a den of robbers. He also drove them out of the temple. Was Jesus wrong? Of course not. Was it culturally accepted to sell within the temple? Yes. Does this mean it’s therefore okay to do? Of course not. Our culture does not define right and wrong even if famous people or leaders think it’s okay. The word of God is to be THE lamp unto our feet and THE light to our path. Would it have been awkward to confront what has been practiced for so long? Yes! Would it have been uncomfortable or scary to do so? It would have been for me.
Look, even our churches have become, not just a den of robbers, but a den of corruption. It accepts the sins of our culture: sex before marriage, living with whoever you want, homosexuality, alcohol is the norm, and reading the Bible is not high on a lot of Christians’ priority list. Therefore TRUTH is not learned, and if not learned, then not practiced.
As Christians, we are called to be counterculture. We are called to stand up for the TRUTH. We are called to Love sinners but not the sin.
1. Romans 12:2 says not to conform to the pattern of this world.
2. II Corinthians 6:17 says not to touch anything unclean but, instead, to come out from our cultural practices and be different.
3. I John 2:15 says that if we love the worldly practices, then the love of the father is not in us.
4. James 4:4 calls us adulterous people and enemies of God if we develop friendships with the world’s practices.
Before we start to condemn others, let us take a close look at our lives and see if we have accepted the cultural practices of our time.
