God copiers 3)

But today, an ever increasing section of society does not know the Christian story and take it seriously, God is squeezed out, the Bible is ignored, morality is what you choose. In contrast with 1858 this is called a post-Christian culture and a post-truth society.  Notice in chapters 4 and 5 when Paul describes his culture with its sexual permissiveness, impurity. greed, falsehood, anger unwholesome talk, drunkenness...its unholiness..what similarities there are with today.  This was a pre-Christian culture. Now we are slipping into a post Christian culture.  Now this is a big subject and we must never forget that God has made us in his own image so there is always goodness, good people.  As a journalist in the war in Ukraine said last week, war brings out the worst of humanity in its cruelty but also the best in its courage and compassion.  Yes, people can be so unkind, angry. and cruel. Look at social media, trolls etc. But they can also be kind and compassionate.  However, we have to agree that this church now lives in a very different world from when this church began in 1858.   

I said the hymn has some major things right, but one thing was wrong. It’s that line: Who will leave the world’s side?  And we cannot actually leave, we are always in our culture.  We  are in the world, When Jesus calls us to follow him, he is calling us to belong to his kingdom. Which has a different culture of obedience and love. To be in the world but not of the world. To belong to his kingdom culture even as we live within the world's culture. To get your second passport.  Become a dual citizen.

 When we ask: Are we following God’s culture while living in the world’s culture we are even more aware of the struggle.  Who is on the Lord's side.  Facing the foe. Fierce may be the conflict. We are helped by Paul’s honesty in Rom 7:13 when he says: for what I want to do, I do not do, and what I hate I do. Copying the world's culture comes naturally.  God’s culture - his way of thinking and behaving, his kingdom way is so different.  It demands everything of us.  It’s a battle. Who is on the Lord’s side?  Who will fight the foe?