The Culture War And The Called-Out Ones

As the church continues to listen to the voices calling it to ‘re-capture’ our society for Christ, it will regress to a place where it is no longer the church, but an unholy interest group engaged in ‘cultural renewal’ instead of individual New Birth.
In order to prevent such a regression, Christians, then, must reevaluate their role in this society and return to the mandate to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ This proclamation requires that we involve our whole being, not only in the verbal proclamation of the Gospel itself, but also in the deeds of a born-again human and a new citizen of God’s Kingdom culture.
John Piper has done much to exposit Philippians 1, especially verse 20, “. . .20 according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.” He points out that we need to live for Christ and exhorts us to this in his book, Don’t Waste Your Life.
We must honestly need to count all our accomplishments, talents and status as “rubbish” (Phil. 3:8) in comparison with “the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” Christ embodies all that is and can be excellent. His example in the Gospels teach us how he balanced perfectly his love for mankind.
Christ loved the woman at the well (John 4:4-26), the certain ruler seeking Eternal Life (Luke 18:18-30), and the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). In these examples we see that Jesus exercises love in perfect balance with the unique cultural issues around each person he met. Jesus balanced His love with the racial differences between Himself (a Jew) and the Samaritan women; between His humility and the pride and riches of that certain ruler seeking Eternal Live; and, between His perfect holiness with harlotry of the adulterous woman without excusing the sin of the adulterous woman.
Christ loved these people outside the confines of this world culture, by presenting the claims of the culture of the Kingdom of God, while proclaiming the Gospel.
We are called to be in the world for the same task, but we are admonished not to be conformed to this world. So we have been left in this world that we might make Christ known; as ambassadors of God’s Kingdom to our fellow humans. This will require us to proclaim the Truth of God in this present evil age, and in the face of persecution and hostility.
Paul warns and encourages us, “Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor 5:16-21)
Our great purpose if fulfilled in being called out of a God-hostile world culture to to live and proclaim the messages of our King Jesus and our Father God. as His ambassadors. “But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. ‘And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.’ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;. . . .:

Anger: How Do You Deal With It?

Of the emotions, anger is close to being the strongest, and the most destructive; the destruction of our anger is physical and emotional. And none of us is alien to this fiery emotion. Here are some thoughts on how should we live as Christians?
One of the most misused passages in regard anger is the account of Jesus cleansing the temple area of the money changers (Mark 3:5). The fact of the matter this not to excuse our anger. I agree with John Piper, "However, good anger among fallen people is rare. That's why James says, 'Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God"
Another passage used to justify anger is Ephesians 4:26, "Be angry and do not sin." Yes the first part is an imperative, but this is where a little knowledge of Greek can be dangerous. The second part is also imperative. It is important to study the syntax of the imperatives in this verse for if we do, we will learn that the first part, "Be angry," is an imperative of permission, but the second part is an imperative of prohibition. So, yes we may be angry, but more importantly, we should never sin. In this same portion of Ephesians we are clearly told to "put away" our anger. That is let it be removed from you, or leave not trace of anger. Yes we may still suffer the continual rise to anger, but we must repent of it, and pray for grace and deliverance of this sin, and pray that God will change us so that we will, "be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you." (Eph. 4:32).
We need to take heed to Paul, "be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love . . . 'Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.' See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil."