Cowan Living a Biblical Culture

In a Darkening World
1. Auflage 2015
ISBN: 978-1-68222-646-9
Verlag: BookBaby
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 36 Seiten

This book contains a series of 'thoughts' which have proven helpful to the author in his relentless pursuit of living out a 'biblical culture' as a disciple of Jesus Christ. He is devoted now to passing along these 'helps' to the next generation of Christian young people facing the growing dilemma of how to truly live for Christ in a darkening world.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Cowan, Robert

Leseproben

CULTURE The sheer beauty of living a biblical culture
is how effective it is for His Kingdom. I believe the issue of culture is so paramount to attaining the biblical lifestyle of a disciple that I have chosen to make it the first topic of discussion. My goal throughout this book is to demonstrate the value of actually and practically living a ‘biblical culture’ “in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). There are ways to do this, and I would like the privilege of sharing some of the thoughts He has given me; ways to walk in your culture, yet live responsively by His Spirit, maintaining an eternal perspective. Some thoughts may seem so far removed from earthly views that you will have a difficult time digesting them. But this is what I sense He wants me to lay before you, the next generation of His potential disciples, in the midst of darkening days. As early as Genesis 10 God spoke of nations, family groupings with specific languages, separated onto various parcels of land. “From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.
Genesis 10:5 From these nations emerged unique cultures and accompanying cultural norms and characteristics. God spoke of the Chaldeans as “that fierce and impetuous people” (Habakkuk 1:6b). The Edomites were known for their ‘arrogance’ (Obadiah 1:3); the Amalekites for their ‘cruelty’ (Deuteronomy 25:18). There was a time He said of His own people, Israel: this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,
Isaiah 29:13 Yet among them, God highlights some of the descendants of Issachar, “men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do” (1 Chronicles 12:32). These men retained godly lifestyles, while others around them were becoming captivated by the surrounding hedonistic culture. To me, culture is the emerging accumulation of ‘rules’ and behavioural ‘norms’ established to foster a particular kind of society, sharing distinct goals and values. Unfortunately, each human culture from every generation is somewhat tainted, and thus darkened by sinful tendencies. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
1 John 2:16 Thankfully, it goes on to add, “the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17). In order to live forever, people are called to become ‘disciples’ of Jesus, a ‘people for God’s own possession’ (Titus 2:14b). Titus 2: 11-12 explains, For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age. This means we are to live differently than our surrounding culture’s values dictate, and pursue a higher biblical standard of conduct. James 1:27 offers, Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. The overarching premise of this book is to promote the supreme value of responding to Jesus; to let Him create a ‘biblical culture’ within you, in order to serve His Kingdom purposes toward the needy, while remaining ‘unstained’ by whatever culture He places you in! Sadly, this way of living is described in Matthew 7:14 as ‘narrow, and there are few who find it’. Those who do, will discover a deeper and richer experience of living, filled with ‘joy unspeakable’! Culture makes me think of freewill. By choice, God does not ‘control’ everything, but He is ‘in charge’ of everything. He permits us to choose freely, either for or against His will in all circumstances. Because He knows the beginning from the end, He already sees our choices, and so He rightly uses us all within the orchestration of His larger purposes through human history. So why does culture bring this to mind? Well, without freewill, we would simply be ‘robots’, doing God’s bidding, without choice. And that is precisely what I think of when I look at human cultures. Some say ‘religion’ is restrictive, but to me, there is so much more freedom in living a biblical culture, and enjoying being a part of His activities, than the more robotic lifestyles of earthly cultures. If you are willing to think of this objectively, you will agree how indoctrinated and ‘locked in’ we are to the dictates and whims of our culture. We mechanically become just like those around us. We wear the acceptable clothes, say the acceptable words, move about by the acceptable means, and basically conform to whatever is going on around us. And even if we say we are counter-cultural, we follow the distinct patterns and ways of the counter-cultural ‘rules’. It is sad, really, how much we miss in richness of living. How much more wonderful to conform to the wondrous ways of the only One who chooses perfectly for our best, who loves us unconditionally and seeks the greatest good for all. Perhaps two of the greatest factors causing most to refuse really living for Him in holistic biblical ways are the magnetic draw of worldly culture, and man’s propensity toward sin. To live a biblical culture requires many choices every day to ‘deny our self and take up our cross’ (Mark 8:34), surrendering to His ways instead. Jesus demonstrated it in everyday living as He ministered to the people around Him. For example: And it came about as He said these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice, and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts at which You nursed." But He [Jesus] said, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and observe it.”
Luke 11:27b-28 At every point He was alert to what was ‘actually’ true in a situation, and not swayed by the thoughts of the crowd. Central to living a biblical lifestyle is the concept, ‘not of the world, but sent into the world’ (John 17:11-21). It demands transformed living. “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Jesus said, “I have come as light into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness” (John 12:46). The ‘darkness’ comes from all the little things tugging us away from God’s will on any given day; our cell phones and other gadgets, our opinions about those around us, our apathy toward difficult things, our secret sins. But mostly, darkness occurs from our lack of sufficient love for Jesus, which would override the ever so subtle, yet insidious temptations our culture pushes upon us. Peter said it well: Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behaviour excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
1 Peter 2:11-12 The sheer beauty of living a biblical culture is how effective it is for His Kingdom. Look at some of the responses to Jesus’ lifestyle. “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52). His lifestyle and manner of speaking was such that he gained the respect of the people around Him, while living fully for God. “And they were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:22). The things He spoke of were penetratingly true and convicting, yet simultaneously compelling and inspiring to real seekers. Following Jesus’ example of living biblically instead of culturally, we too can be used effectively by God. ‘Loving your neighbour as yourself’ (Luke 10:27b) is a primary culturally biblical mandate which ‘works’ powerfully and effectively all over the world, while human cultures continually wrestle with issues of race, class and tribe, seemingly unable to come to proper resolve. Such is the impact of a life given over to a biblical culture! Yes, you will face persecution, as Jesus Himself experienced, even to His death. This is part of the plan of God, which He has you participate in, placing choices before every soul to choose either for or against Him. As disciples, we share in both the sufferings and eternal blessings of God. Paul’s own biblical life pursuits highlighted the blessings and the sufferings of life with...