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Christian versions of worldliness

reba said:
Too many Christian people have the idea meekness, forgiveness, and love = doormat.
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Yeah, but how does someone find the right balance when they are being used as a doormat (many times by other Christians) because they display these traits? I've seen that happen to far too many meek and forgiving Christians.
 
This thread reminds of these verses from 1 Corinthians 9:

18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
23 And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

So Paul would become like non-Christians in order to introduce them to the gospel. But we also see here that he did't sacrifice the law of Christ to do it. There's a fine line it would seem.
 
Classik said:
So some churches kind of adopt the system of the world and try to make them appear Christian. So, is it proper to attract people to our Christian stuff this way?
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Nope! Christians don't win the world by becoming like the world it reverts to paganism and we already see what one organization accomplished by following this pattern.. :yes

tob
 
turnorburn said:
Classik said:

Nope! Christians don't win the world by becoming like the world it reverts to paganism and we already see what one organization accomplished by following this pattern.. :yes

tob
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So if your answer is a resounding and uncompromised "Nope!", I'm curious how do account for Paul's words in 1 Cor 9:20-22 as mentioned by WIP in post #43 above yours? Was Paul wrong in doing what he did?
 
Todays churches are becoming more and more worldly do you agree disagree and i believe the reason is that we've allowed ourselves to take those meanings out of context do you agree disagree to this also?

tob
 
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

I feel the whole subject comes down to a fine line as far as the activities of the Church, which is the body of Christ. For example: Christian hard rock. I see nothing wrong with it, but yet not my thing, as at first it may draw in the secular crowd because of the music, but through the lyrics as in any Gospel song draws the youth into knowing more about Christ through the message of the song and the testimonies or one from the group shares the word from the Bible as this is done in between the songs . To me these type of songs, no matter what genre is putting the word of God to music to reach out to the very soul of a person no matter the age. Even the thees and thou's have become more modern to a modern society as in all generations many things have changed, but yet brings praise and glory to the Lord. As the whole of the Church of what type of activities that would like to implement, prayer needs to be made first so we stay in Gods perfect will for what He wants the body to go forth with.
 
turnorburn said:
Todays churches are becoming more and more worldly do you agree disagree and i believe the reason is that we've allowed ourselves to take those meanings out of context do you agree disagree to this also?

tob
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Not sure what you mean when you say "agree disagree", but maybe you're asking if I or we agree OR disagree? Or are you saying we agree TO disagree?

I think you are asking if we agree OR disagree. So if that's the case, in answer to if churches are becoming more worldly, I would disagree. I guess it depends on "more worldly" than what, but I think of the descriptions of how the Corinthian church was behaving and I'm not so sure we really are more worldly today. Of course, it depends on which individual modern congregation you are talking about too. I agree that some are much more worldly than others.

I also don't think we've taken the meanings of 1 Cor 9 out of context. Paul was clearly saying that he was doing what he did so that he could be effective in witnessing to those he was around at any particular time. The same thing holds true today. I don't believe Paul is saying he did anything sinful in order to relate to those he was around, but he clearly changed the way he did things in order to relate by adopting and using things and customs from their culture. Not everything that was not a specific invention of the Christian church is necessarily sinful.

The same concept holds true today. If two people are totally different with totally different perspectives and attitudes toward many things, both of them will have a much harder time influencing the other. It's when a person sees someone they can relate to that they will really begin to listen because from their perspective they consider that person reasonable.

It's certainly possible to use lots of things from "the world" in Godly ways.
 
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for_his_glory said:
...For example: Christian hard rock. I see nothing wrong with it, but yet not my thing, as at first it may draw in the secular crowd because of the music, but through the lyrics as in any Gospel song draws the youth into knowing more about Christ through the message of the song and the testimonies or one from the group shares the word from the Bible as this is done in between the songs . To me these type of songs, no matter what genre is putting the word of God to music to reach out to the very soul of a person no matter the age. ..
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It does indeed do that, and even more. Music isn't just an outreach tool, but is also a method of enabling Christians in praising and worshiping God which we are ALSO supposed to do. For those who enjoy modern music, the modern music helps enable their worship just as the old time hymns do for those who prefer them. It's not just an outreach tool, and it's not just a compromise that is made in the name of "outreach" as some people see it sometimes. There is a place for all of it.
 
The Lounge
Lounge does not :chair equal bar room brawl :chair
Settle in for some casual conversation and fellowship!
A friendly reminder this area is kinda for keeping things light
Not necessarily directed at the last poster ..
 
Wow, compared to a lot of threads I've seen I thought this one was pretty light and friendly. I guess we better lighten it up some more. :)
 
reba said:
The Lounge
Lounge does not :chair equal bar room brawl :chair
Settle in for some casual conversation and fellowship!
A friendly reminder this area is kinda for keeping things light
Not necessarily directed at the last poster ..
Click to expand...

Tea and scones ?
 
Thanks reba and i was just about ready to oh never mind.. :nono

tob

*edit: its just that when a thread talks about how we engage the world it makes things difficult because a vast majority are caught up with the world.. and what does God think of this world..

James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
 
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