Holiness in a Worldly Culture

There is a perpetual slide away from holiness. A church never “frontslides” toward God. By its very nature, it “backslides” both from his word, and His presence. We here a lot about the “presence of God” from hillsong worship leaders…They want his presence but not his word, the signs miracles and wonders but not the doctrine. We are headed for trouble when music supersedes preaching.

There are always those who kick against whatever the standard might be. They wrest with scripture to their own demise. It wouldn’t matter where you drew the line, they would cross it. Completely disregarding the commandment to obey them that have the rule over them, they refuse the man of God any voice in their lives unless they happen to agree with it.

Let me help you. God in fact cares what his people look like. Modesty is a requirement of both genders. Specific guidelines are given in the New Testament on the styling and length of your hair. Fully clothed is a sign the demons are gone out of the vessel. It equates proper dress to a sound and correct pattern of thought.

The reason Christians do not drink is at every bar you pass, at every homeless shelter in town, it is not consistent with Christianity. The reason we don’t eat till we look like an over inflated balloon is there are direct commands in scripture not to. Our body is the temple of God, and the word says that temple must be beyond magnificent in its appearance. We walk upstream, regardless of what others do. We resist the flesh and refuse to cater to our lust. We seek God not mans approval or acceptance. We are not of this world. Probably couldn’t prove any of that in the average church today, but it’s good preaching anyhow! Truth doesn’t capitulate to our definitions.

Our minds have been transformed and our thought process is discipled to reflect a Christocentric world view. When God makes all things new the old has to pass away.

There are only two genders… Gods plan for marriage is one man and one woman for one lifetime, I will go to my grave preaching that. He hates divorce. Never met a divorced person that wanted their children to end up in their shoes. It tears the very fiber of your soul. It seeks to separate what God has made one. I refuse to license the dissolution of the “till death do us part” covenant of marriage the day the vows are made! My jaw dropped open when an Apostolic Elder did so at my sons wedding. They made their choice that day, entering a vow before God…say not to the Angel it was an error!!!

Every standard I have a preacher put there! I thank God for his messengers in my life who have stood flat footed behind the pulpit and refused to bow before a vacillating culture. I believe there is one interpretation yet many applications of scripture. I give space for the Man of God to apply principles, moral guidelines, and standards across the board in my life. I realize he has my back, that he is trying to get me to heaven. I thank God for a church that stands a great distance from our current culture in its appearance, it’s actions, and it’s doctrine.

At a time when pastors are sitting on stools with their shirt tails hanging out, looking more and more like the world and abandoning holiness on the altar of numerical church growth, I have one question…

Have you looked lately at what you are growing? Social clubs and gatherings do not make it a church. A church is by definition called to come out from among them and become holy, serving a holy God, and reaching back into their culture to snatch them from the flames.

I thank God for every preacher that refuses to conform to this world and for the good saints of God that will back him with their prayers, their tithe and their faithfulness… Preach to me preacher, spare not, I gotta make it to heaven!