Agape
Fellowship
In these days it has become quite apparent that self-love has invaded our society. Men have become lovers of themselves rather than lovers of God (II Timothy 3:2). I believe that we can see this manifested in three basic areas of perversion. We can see all of the major evil acts of our society broken down into one of these areas: unnatural violence, perversion of sensuality, or corrupt music. Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall like lightening" (Luke 10:18) because Satan believed the lie that self is the measure of all things. How many of us use our own minds and thinking as the measure of setting or not setting standards for what we do?
Is it not apparent by the mere existence of this world and life in it that there is a God who created all things including us? And is it not equally important to know that He has set a standard for the way the life that He has created should live? Is not the expression of our society, "do whatever feels good", an expression of frustration with life and it has become the moral license of self-love?
In the area of violence like the other two areas one of the major influences is rebellion; rebellion against father, mother, police, teachers, church, government, business, i.e. any area of authority. In past decades we have seen it in the ghetto and on college campuses. We tolerated that and let it become accepted in society's thinking in such areas as relaxed law enforcement (tying the hands of police), disregard of the intrinsic value of life (abortion legalized, infanticide accepted), and participating in war without purpose. We are so great that we have developed military weapons that could destroy our whole planet. For such a cause should one give his life? The natural outgrowth of this kind of thinking has eroded the basic unit of our society, the family. The number of homes with both father and mother is decreasing rapidly and, in many cases where there are two parents, they are not both the original parents of all the children due to the open practice and acceptance of divorce and remarriage. Because one's own self-importance is considered more important than that of family, society, or God; the lifting of women out of their natural place beside (not below) a man and into competition with him has had a very degrading effect upon us through what has been called women's liberation. The victims of this thinking have not really seen that they have been enslaved in a movement whose foundation is self-love.
This type of rebellious thinking and practice has led us into a second area of degeneration, which is the proliferation of sensuality. Unwholesome sex is everywhere in our society, on billboards, TV, in the streets, in public conversation, schools, etc. The exploitation of sensuality spawned out of a heart of rebellion has caused the acceptance of sodomy (homosexuality) and lesbianism. Such perversion is expressly forbidden by God (Romans 1:26,27). At this point let us ask the question "Why is God relevant?" As our Creator, He has designed us to function in harmony with Him and the rest of creation by adhering to a standard for life and all of life's situations. When we deviate from these standards for society, which were designed by Him who made us and who made society according to His pattern, we violate our basic nature and makeup. The result is disharmony and destruction.
The third area that must be formed because of our nature is a religious system compatible with society's practice. Humanism (man is the measure of all things) is the result and we have come to measure ourselves by ourselves (II Corinthians 10:12). The natural expression of worship is found in music. We as a society have permitted and now have accepted Rock music as the expression of our humanism. Rock music (often called contemporary music) has in its fabric both violence and sensuality. In effect we, as parents, have let another god into our homes and it has taken over our society. In Rock music there is profanity, lewd remarks, encouragement of rebellion against all authority, and disregard for human life, as well as a direct link with drugs and sex.
We need to ask ourselves: "Who is running our country? Who is establishing our values? What is causing economic decay? Why has our society been raped of its righteousness?" We need only to look at violence, sensuality, and a new god expressed in Rock music to see the manifestation of self-love all around us. When is the last time you saw someone stand for what was right in the face of opposition? We need to repent and turn from the god of self to the God of our fathers, Who has created the heavens and the earth. "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof." (Psalms 24:1). Some day we are going to give an account for what we have done with what He has given to us. Are we ready?
Just as the rise and fall of nations is determined by their political aspirations, social stability, and economic security on the outside; so the moral fiber is the major influence in these and other surface factors. When we look at the lack of health and vigor of a nation we so often see the diseases and their immediate causes but neglect the vital signs and heartbeat of these peoples. We use as means of examination, economics, arts and culture, political structure, military might, and sometimes even religion; but we do separate it from its moral implications.
In creation God has structured the natural universe that we see over the moral universe that controls what really takes place. The natural consists of the visible but it also includes the principles that govern the visible such as the law of gravity, which has its physical consequences that become visible. These could be likened to man's body and his mind. The body is visible and the mind directs the body from behind the scene. But, there is a third dimension both to the universe and to man who was created to dwell in this universe. There is an aspect of man that is able to sense the moral implications of that which takes place in the universe and it is this part of man (his spirit) that has a desire to know the moral Being who has created all things.
The real issue in these days is do we want God to rule our lives and do we want Him to control our society? When we as individuals seek the God of the bible, the God of history, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; we will have our eyes opened and see how corrupt we have been. By the shed blood of Jesus we may have our past iniquity cleansed and our spirit quickened by God to live with Him. Our nation is made up of individuals and families just as God designed it to be. We need to voice our displeasure with unrighteousness in the name of the Lord Jesus in our day. Our society is being directed by the corporate power of evil and every act of sin in us contributes to that evil. If our lives are changed by the power of Jesus we may contribute to the demise of evil and the raising of a righteous standard in our day. Our society is corrupt because we are corrupt. So our society may become righteous as we become righteous in Him who is and shall become our life and righteousness.
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A backslider is not a disciple of Jesus Christ. |
| How do we turn a backslider into a disciple? | |
| What is a disciple of Jesus Christ? | |
| A backslider: | A disciple: |
| Tolerates foul language, is not offended | Hates foul language |
| Follows the crowd | Follows Jesus (may seem to be a loner at times) |
| Is consumed and believes the lies of TV | Uses TV wisely and sparingly |
| Conforms to social thinking | Is a social reformer |
| Reflects the media view of the day | Reflects the Biblical view of the ages |