You've Gotta Stop Children What's That Sound

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life - is not from the Father but is from the world." - 1 John 2:15-16

A whole new generation of Christians has come up believing that it is possible to 'accept' Christ without forsaking the world. - A.W. Tosier

There is a temptation that we all must deal with. The temptation is to embrace what the world says is good and right, even in the face of the Word of God saying it is not. According to 1 John, if you embrace the world and accept the world's "truth" as having primacy over the Word of God, the problem is that you do not love God - even though you may claim that you do. 

Jesus saw this in the people who considered themselves His disciples.

"Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?" - Luke 6:46

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments." - John 14:15

What many people are doing is practicing something called Syncretism. Syncretism is the amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought. With respect to culture, it is when a group of people move to the United States, but do not embrace the culture of the new country, claiming it as their own, but cling to the culture of the country they left. They still love their old way of life. Spiritually, it happens a lot in under-developed countries. Well-meaning missionaries go to a county, share the gospel and rejoice when the indigent people accept Jesus. The thing is, that they have not rejected their old beliefs. What they do is add the Christian faith to what they already believe. Their previously held beliefs have priority over their new-found faith.  They have not repented and are not converted or saved from their sin. 

That is what A.W. Tosier was saying about people in the United States. They embrace what their culture says is right and, at the same time, consider themselves to be Christians. They do not see the contradictions in what they say they believe. 

"So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." - Matthew 15:6-9 & Isaiah 29:13

Do not deceive yourself and think you are above such things. The temptation to embrace the teachings of you culture and reject the Word of God has been with us for thousands of years. Many people have fallen into this sin thinking they were doing well and being praised by the natural culture they live in. 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." - 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Children, that sound you hear is the song of your culture wooing you away from the Truth of God.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone