Keeping Up With The Times
Time brings change. We have now begun the third millennium as men count time
from Christ. Some want you to think that spirituality, ethics and morality are
obsolete. Pressure is exerted upon God's people to conform to the world and its
standards rather than to God's standards as He revealed them in the Scriptures.
"One needs to keep up with the times!" so they say. But a faithful Christian
must be a non-conformist when conforming means putting himself or herself at
odds with God. We must not compromise Divine Law just to fit in with cultural
norms, whatever they are. God's way is true and right whether human culture
recognizes it or not (Romans 3:4). No human being, or group of human beings,
however large the group, can
change the truth of God into a lie.
Jesus said that His disciples cannot serve two masters. He said we are to put His kingdom and righteousness first. Timothy was urged to preach the same gospel message "in season and out of season" and to "reprove, rebuke and exhort with great patience..." (2 Timothy 4:3-5). The message of the gospel does not change with the passing of time, and one who changes his or her beliefs based on opinion polls is not being true to God.
The apostle Paul's advice to Timothy is worthy of our noting and following. We live in a culture that often seems to be increasingly belligerent toward the faith and the faithful. Many clergy and other religious leaders are quite willing to sacrifice Divine Law on the altar of political correctness and cultural acceptance. Paul said, "You, therefore my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 2:1). Yes, it is time to be strong.
By Jon W. Quinn
Final Page
From Expository Files 8.3; March 2001
