Staying Faithful in a World That’s Lost Its Way
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“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20).
One of the tell-tale signs of being at the very end of the Church age is people gradually moving away from the things of God and embracing distorted ideas regarding morality. Such a society can no longer successfully navigate through the new challenges brought on by technological advancements, economic cycles, social upheaval and global crises. We are all seeing the truth of this Word unfold before our eyes in what has become a clash between a secular worldview and a Biblical worldview.
Today’s secular worldview is developed through cultural preferences and social norms that are promoted through progressive educational institutions, media of all sorts, and even so called “science.” And since these factors shift from generation to generation, their "truth" is always changing.
This is the exact opposite of a Biblical worldview which is based on the never changing, always immutable, divinely-breathed, divinely-inspired Word of Almighty God! Like its author, the Word never changes, but is the same yesterday, today and forever!
This conflict between two worldviews, secular vs. biblical, has never been more evident than it has been recently. Secular society now grapples with a host of divisive issues. However, people who make moral decisions based on temporary feelings and peer pressure are easily deceived and led astray.
As a result, we have entered into a time when Christianity is regarded by many as inferior and narrow-minded. In truth, criticism of Christianity has often been justified; representatives of Christ can and do use the Word of God as a weapon to attack people, keeping them bound in shame and condemnation, rather than using it to help set them free from sin. We must always guard our hearts to prevent becoming haters of people whom God loves. Even if they hold a distorted secular worldview, let's remember the following admonition from Paul:
“But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2).
Nonbelieving people judge how they feel about the Scripture and the Savior based on the way in which we, the saints of God, behave. Therefore even in the face of criticism, we have a responsibility as handlers of the Word of God and carriers of His Spirit to demonstrate Christ for the betterment and salvation of the lost, not as a hammer to further enslave deceived people. So handle with care and concern, rather than condemnation or carelessness.
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5 Time-Tested, True Ways to Stay Faithful
During times of social and cultural upheaval, it’s especially good to remember the foundations of our faith. God has not left us to fend for ourselves on the shifting sand of moral relativity, but has provided time tested and true keys to enable us to overcome every challenge. These keys are not new, but are things that every believer should be reminded to practice regularly, in order to mature spiritually and maintain a solid biblical worldview.
We may be in the world, but we are not of it! So here are five quick keys to help you stay faithful in a world that has lost its way.
1. Start Your Day in Prayer
“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed” (Mark 1:35).
Over the last few years, our world has been overwhelmed with untold new challenges; people everywhere have been struggling emotionally, not just physically. At the barber shop recently, I picked up an issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine and noticed an article entitled, How to Get into a Better Headspace, Because a Global Crisis Can Take a Toll. Even Cosmo can see the emotional toll all this craziness is having on our mental health.
The article offered several tips to help people feel normal, like book a massage or facial, none of which can solve the root of the problem, which is sin. God has other advice:
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
Prayer anchors your soul to God even while living in a society that is drifting far from Him. It opens our hearts to receive His peace, hope and reassurance, and sweeps clean the debris of sin that we’ve picked up in our daily lives. In short, prayer helps us to hold onto our faith when everything around us is nuts.
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2. Study the Bible Daily
After we’ve established a successful rhythm of daily devotions, we need to do more than simply read the Bible. We need to study it and make it a part of our thinking and our speech. We need to decide that knowing the Word of God is more important than knowing the daily news. We must realize that the Word of God is where we find our guide to right and wrong (not political correctness), our guide to life and purpose (not New Age affirmations), our guide to health and wholeness (not man's suppositions), to be lights of the Lord.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
It is imperative that the Word of God be implanted in us, so it can be our guiding light that leads us down every path and in every decision we make.
3. Repent of Sin Quickly
“Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:15).
Translation: sin has “babies,” and those babies grow up and take on a destructive life of their own.
Sin is not something to play with. It will always take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you are willing to pay. It also desensitizes you to right and wrong, and makes you vulnerable to the seducing spirits at work in the world.
Sin is sneaky. Its goal is to trip you, trap you, and take you out. If you ignore it or try to hide it, you’ll lose every time. So be proactive! Confess it to God, receive His forgiveness, and forsake it.
“He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).
Jesus was faithful on the cross to pay the price for our sin 2,000 years ago, and He remains faithful to forgive us of our sin today. We still need forgiveness ourselves, and since we receive it from God, we must also pass it on to others.
“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
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4. Get Spiritually Dressed
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:10-12).
Wiles of the devil are simply mind games or delusions. Sometimes it’s difficult to remember in the moment, but people are not our problem – principalities and seducing spirits are. Stop hating on people and start praying for them instead. Suit up in your spiritual armor and take a stand against the real enemy.
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:13-18).
Get covered with the armor of God from head to toe!
The belt of truth – the truth that comes from the Word of God, not society or politics.
The breastplate of righteousness – knowing we are right with God, not because of our goodness, but because of God’s grace
The gospel of peace – knowing we are at peace with God, and have an eternal home in the heavens not built with the hands of man. Knowing we can walk in a quiet rest that passes all understanding
The shield of faith – an absolute assurance that God’s word is true and will come to pass in our lives
The helmet of salvation – we have soundness of mind because of a secure faith in the principles of the Word of God and so great a salvation bought for us by our Savior
The sword of the Spirit – an unwavering revelation of God’s word that empowers us to respond to every attack of the enemy and causes him to flee
And of course, our battle position is in prayer – always. It’s not just what we do when we don’t know what to do, it is what we must do at all times, for this is how we fight our battles in this world that has lost its way.
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5. Go to Church!
“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Sometimes we forget, but we really need to be in God’s house, where we are fed the Word of God in fellowship with others of like faith. It’s where our errant theology and politics gets challenged and changed to line up with the God’s truth. It’s where we experience the power and healing of worshipping in God’s presence. It’s where iron sharpens iron, and we experience the love of the brethren. Thank God for church online when gathering together is truly impossible; but at all other times, we must not forsake this valuable key to remaining strong in faith.
Finally, it’s important to remember that much of the chaos today has been blamed on politics, power plays, social injustice, etc. But the truth is the world’s gone mental because of sin. And the devastation caused by sin cannot be controlled by any president, agenda, or master plan. No matter how hard we try, we just can’t control sin. That’s why more than anything else, we need the Savior in a world that’s lost its way.
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How to Put on the Full Armor of God and Receive Strength
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