Playing With Fire: Befriending The World

The church's habit of playing with fire is getting the church burnt. 

The Christian church has befriended the world is so many ways, that it is unable to discern right from wrong (Hebrews 5:14). Popular cultural has so been absorbed into the church, that the church is blinded to its effects and unable to conceive in its mind what holiness or righteousness even are. This is an enormous stumbling block, and an obstacle which prevents the church from being what God has called it to be. Yet the true Church cannot ultimately fail, those who are the called are the true Church. It is the institutional "church" which fails to live up to its professed calling. 

This is not a process which happened over night, but a process that has been going on since Christianity began; only perhaps to be expanded and easily exampled in recent decades. This is a tragedy which can only be prevented or solved by radical faith, and a willingness to risk ridicule and temporary discomfort for the treasures of heaven (Hebrews 11:6). 

What is sad, very, very, sad, is that few professing Christians, know, or even care. This is only evidence of the craftiness of Satan, and the dominion he wields over those who fail to use the power for deliverance which is available through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

To those who grow up in the worldly "Christian" church, this type of talk seems to them to be nonsense. Something must awaken them, and unblind them or they cannot understand. 

Reason for but a moment... Not only is the Church's love of the world condemned in scripture as sin, but it is not even logical. How can a Christian profess to be a Christian, when they fill their minds with the same things as those who are not Christian. Can we really continue to fool ourselves into believing that we are Christians when we watch and hear movies, music and television which blasphemy God and promote what His Word detests? How can we say "Oh, we're mature enough to handle it." Really? I guess that's what the devil wants you to think isn't it. God knows the saturation of the minds of individuals with television and modern music has corrupted them nearly beyond repair. Dare we promote what God hates and excuse ourselves by saying "it's just for entertainment." Entertainment in its self, (for no other purpose), is nothing other than an excuse to delay doing that which God has for us to do (James 4:17). That is why there is no excuse for "cheap" entertainment. "Cheap" entertainment is herein defined as entertainment that does not teach some lesson or value to make us the wiser and better equipped for the purpose we as Christians have. We must ask ourselves if our acting or thinking places us within the will of God as it is proclaimed by scripture; weather it diminishes or allows or enhances the fulfillment of verses such as Romans 12:1-21, Colossians 3:17 and Philippians 4:8. 

I would venture so far as to say that many professing Christians do not even know what "the world" refers to in the phrase "love not the world." Neither do they understand what "befriending the world" is. In part, they imagine it as gross materialism or illegal acts to avoid doing; they fail to realize that it involves every aspect of their life; that they have been living in error, deceived into thinking that music, television and dress do not affect who they are. To love God, and not the world, is not something which can be done without deliberate effort; and yet, it cannot be done by the will of man (John 1:13, Romans 9:16). We must actively guard against the craftiness of the devil, and not be unwise dealing with an enemy which we, apart from Christ, are powerless to withstand (Matthew 10:16). The cares of this world have choked the spiritual life of many, and the love of it has turned many aside to death and destruction, though they know it not (Mark 4:19, 1 Timothy 6:9).

Not only have churches befriended the world; they have redesigned themselves by the philosophies and standards of the world. To the extent that they have done this, they have lost the power of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit; giving themselves to be naught but institutions of man, becoming fodder for the fire of the wrath of God (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, Revelation 14:10-11, Luke 3:9).

The verses below have much to do with this subject, and their reading provides further insight into what it means to obey and believe the God of the Bible concerning the key topic of avoiding worldliness. We can see from the verses below that it is desirable to be unspotted from the word, and to deny friendship to the world. We also observe that those who love the world are enemies of God, and that those who are chosen by God are hated by the world. We also see that the Gospel is foolishness to the world which is perishing, but to those who are saved it is the power of God. 

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. – James 4:4 

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. – James 1:27

If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. – John 15:19

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. – 1 John 2:15

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.  – 1 Corinthians 1:18-24

I’ll tell you what a tragedy is

While contemplating the inevitable but hopefully distant death of my physical body I thought of this… It came to me very quickly at work one day (7/26/2010) and I wrote it down after I had returned home later that evening.

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What is being read to you now was written by me before I died with the hope that this would be read at my funeral. You may be surprised at this as it is not generally done, but you won’t speak ill of the dead will you? Some of you here today only step foot in a church for a funeral so while you are in a church, why would we waste the time discussing a mere man as myself when you could hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ? It was once said, “never waste a good tragedy.”

Well here you are at my funeral. This may be considered a tragedy of sorts. Though I know not how I shall die as I write this I believe my death was not a tragedy. Why? Because I have Faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. You can see the evidence of this saving faith by my actions and way of life, and yet God alone judges the intents and motives of the heart of a man. I pray that when this is read it is read to those who do not need to hear it. But if lack of faith in the Word of God continues to grow the way it is now this will be in need of hearing.

So what is a tragedy ? I’ll tell you what a tragedy is.

A tragedy is when men live their lives as though they cannot understand who God is, when all they have to do is read the scriptures.

A tragedy is when one who professes to be a Christian is living the same as those of the world.

A tragedy is when one hears God’s voice and refuses to obey it.

A tragedy is when one calls themselves a Christian merely because of their upbringing rather than personally knowing Jesus Christ.

A tragedy is when men forfeit their witness of Christ for the sake of worldly gain.

A tragedy is when one stores up treasures on earth rather than in heaven.

A tragedy is every day that a man fails to yield himself to God.

A tragedy is when one lets the years pass by knowing that they have not done God’s will.

A tragedy is when men profess with their mouth to know Christ, but in works they deny him.

A tragedy is when the world looks at the Christian church and is unconvinced that it is the true religion because they can see no difference between “Christians” and other religious peoples.

And perhaps the greatest tragedy of all is when a man brings unto himself death and damnation by so hardening his heart his whole life long, dying in sin and never knowing the mercy, grace and bountiful blessings which God bestows on those who deny themselves take up their cross daily and follow him. (Luke 9:23) (Pause)

Now in contrast to tragedy; the joyous life can be ours through Christ Jesus.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is this;

Man is lost in sin and cannot save himself. The penalty for this sin is death and hell. But God sent his son Jesus Christ who died for us taking the penalty for our sin. That believing in him we may have eternal life. We are saved and receive life when we repent of our sins and place our faith in Jesus Christ accepting God’s gift of grace. This grace which we cannot earn by our own doing and which we do not deserve, is only a gift from God, so that we may be saved by faith in Jesus Christ. Christ, whose shed blood and death on the cross was the final sacrifice for the sins of all men who come to God repenting of their sin acknowledging that they are lost and can only by saved through Him. Trusting God to save them from their sin repenting of it and placing their faith in him. (Pause) Will you be saved? (Pause)

Now I have one small request. I request that before my coffin is lowered into the earth that if you have not accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour that you would spit on my coffin. This is a small request... for this is what you do to God everyday that you turn from him, everyday which you disbelieve the Holy Bible. Just think of all that God has done for you,... though you may fail to claim those richest blessings. So this one small request… After all I am only a man… if you can spit in the face of God neglecting so great a gift as he has given, then it is but a small insignificant thing for you to spit on a dead man’s grave.

For God Almighty is a Most Holy God. Amen.