A Culture of Corruption By George Stroh May 30, 2011
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy"(1 Peter 1:13-16)
We live in a culture of corruption, but as Christians we are instructed be holy or "set apart" in all our behavior, consistent with our holy position in Christ. If we are not careful, we can be conformed to our culture in how we look, where we go, what we say, even in how we think; "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:1,2)
Christians who are conformed to their culture have little or no godly influence on those around them. They have in effect lost their saltiness; "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. (Matthew 5:13)
Sadly, even many so called evangelic churches, doing everything they can to be culturally relevant, have lost their saltiness. Rather than being light and salt, they have become conformed and almost indistinguishable from the lost world. Satan is a master of deception;
"But evil men and imposters will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." (2 Timothy 3:13). The Apostle Paul warned the Corinthian church, as well as every church, about these schemes of the Devil; "But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ."
(2 Corinthians 11:3)
So how do you avoid being deceived and conformed to this corrupt world? --"By the renewing of your mind." The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to teach us all things, renewing our minds, drawing us away from this culture of corruption and producing in us "the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." We are holy in our position because we have been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now as new creatures in Christ, we are called by our Master to bring our practice (being transformed) into conformity with our new holy position. Yes we still live in this corrupt culture, but we are no longer to be a part of it; "You shall be holy, for I am holy." Maranatha!
