Honorbound Devotions
Resisting the Culture
By Dave Gable
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"Each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is
holy and
honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know
God; and
that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage
of
him" (1 Thessalonians 4:4-6, NIV)"
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The people on TV programs hop in and out of bed rather casually.
Sex,
instead of being reserved for marriage, is now part of the get-acquainted
process, early in the relationship. A series of monogamous short-term
relationships will be reported today with a sense of virtue, rather
than
shame. Living together, after which a couple may or may not get
married, is
practically normal here in our culture. Our culture is not Christian,
or
biblical.
This is no surprise. No culture is. The common culture in Paul's
days was
probably even less like the pattern he taught than ours. The church
has
always been called to be different. That's why Paul says, "Don't
live like
the heathen." They don't know God, and won't live according to his
ways.
Don't expect to impress God by telling him that you are just a man
of your
times; that everybody's doing it. He expects us to live according
to light,
not lust; like saints, not like folks on must-see-TV. "Don't be
like your
culture, but be transformed out of it." (Romans 12:1,2)
ACTION STEP: To what extent are your thought patterns "world-think"
or
"God-think?" Determine to control your mental focus today. You can
do it;
God made you to be able.
hbdevotion@news.ag.org