Countering the pervasive culture

Is it okay for a worship leader to be in a live-in relationship and still be leading worship? Is it okay for a Christian leader to have an extramarital affair and continue to lead?  Is it okay for a believer to be in a same sex relationship? What do you say when a Christian leader misappropriates ministry funds for personal gains and continues to be in leadership? How can a believer be addicted to pornography and go on as usual? Is it okay to get a tattoo done on our body because even Joyce Meyers wants to get one?  Is it okay for a believer to live in sin? How do you respond when a mega church pastor says that he needs a private jet to travel around and he mischievously twists the word of God to convince his people to finance it? What do you do when you hear about rampant corruption, power politics, manipulations, sexual immorality, false teachings and absolute lack of integrity among so-called brethren? Is it okay to live without any ethics, personal integrity, morality or biblical values and still claim to be a believer or a spiritual leader? 

These are not hypothetical questions. These are tell-tale signs of a pervading culture that is steadily and blatantly seeping into our churches, ministries and Christian homes right before our eyes. We see it, we read and hear about it, the secular media showcases it and the social media spews it out for the whole world to see. We feel outraged, angry, perturbed, indignant, sad and heart broken. We sometimes wish if we could do what Jesus did in the temple, Where He took the whip and chased out the sellers and traders from the temple and cleansed His father's house. How we wish we could do that, but that is only for the Son of God to do, not our job and for sure He is going to do a complete job of that when He returns.

But then who are we to judge, who are we to take the moral high ground? We too are sinners saved by His grace right! As Apostle John says, if we say we have no sin, we are basically liars.  We are no better,  but then we think in a comparative degree and claim we are better, our sins are not that big, like the ones mentioned above,  so that gives us some kind of legitimacy to judge and cast aspersions. But is that true?  Bible says that God is the Judge, Is 33:2, James 4:12, then who are we to judge His people and His servants. 

So then what are we to do?  Be a passive watch-man, a silent spectator, or as some would say, “just ignore it!! It is not my problem, I am doing okay.” But that is not what we see in the scripture, prophets after prophets coming in quick succession and calling out the sins of the people and leaders and asking them to repent, we see it again in the gospels when Jesus confronts the Pharisees and spiritual leaders of His time, rebuking them and asking them to repent.  Again we see Apostle Paul confronting the terrible sins among the Corinthian believers in 1 Corinthians chapter 3-6. So then what does all this tell us?  How are we to respond when we see and hear about this sickeningly pervasive culture ravenously eating into the body of Christ and completely tarnishing our credibility in its wake?  Well here are three things that we can do as an integral part of the body of Christ.  

PRAY:  Don't laugh at me for coming back to this, don't take this lightly. As I have repeated so many times, there is nothing more powerful in this universe as the prayers of saints.

• We are called to pray for the body of Christ. James 5:16; 1Jn 5:16; Ephesus 6:18.
• We are commanded to pray for our leaders. 1Tim 2:2.
• We are the body of Christ, If it hurts in one part the whole body is in pain, if there is cancer in one part it affects all of us. 1Cor 12:26 
• Pray for a revival, what we need is a renewed vision and revived hearts. 2 Chro 7:14 “If my people … will pray …then I will heal the land”.
• Pray for a massive out-pouring of the Holy Spirit, for His convicting work and a thorough cleaning from all the filth. 
• Pray for great reverence and a passion for Holiness and purity among believers and leaders.   

MODEL:  Be the change you want to see.

In Hebrews 12:2 we are called to run our race that is set before us, laying aside every sin that so easily entangles us, fixing our eyes on Jesus alone.  One oft repeated statement is, “everyone else is doing it, even the leaders are doing it so I too will follow suit” that is a terrible principle to adopt.  Instead if we say, “whatever happens around me I am going to live by the book, the word of God” a principle that will never fail.  Counter and challenge the pervading culture and let our lives be the example. 

CONFRONT AND CORRECT: But do this in gentleness and respect, out of love to restore, not to condemn. As Ephesians 4:15 says, speak the truth in love. If we know the person, he is someone close to us and we are hearing some allegations or rumors about him, or if we are certain that he is fallen in some kind of sin, instead of talking to someone else and making things worse, take time to talk to him, clarify and check if what we heard is true or just hearsay and help him to correct and come out of it, if he is willing and open to it. Then pray with him and for him and walk alongside to see him restored. That is being a true brother!

Jesus was counter culture, He challenged the existing norms and practices of His time and we as His followers can’t afford to be on the sidelines just watching but we need to stand up and do everything possible in our hands to counter this plague that is eroding our very foundations and the essence of our message. As Jesus warned, “therefore be careful lest the light in us be darkness”.