As Christians, if we are serious about living the life of the Kingdom, we spend much time attempting to thwart the “of” inclinations imposed on us as residents of planet earth. It is a scene orchestrated by the enemy and we need only look to the Book of Genesis and the experience of our first parents to realize how dangerous the “of” inclination can be. Our fallen human nature orients us to the things of the world rather than the things and values of the Kingdom causing the enemy to rub his hands in anticipation. That is why we look to the Kerygma [God’s rescue plan] to sort things out. God knows our weakness and He planned to rescue us as the Fall occurred and as we lost our innocence.
We have free will however and we have to cooperate with the sacrifice of Jesus to benefit from it. The enemy knows this and is full of worldly enticements as he attempts to do an end run around the fruit of the Kerygma for every soul resident on earth.
When characterizing the “of” the world mentality, secular culture plays a significant role in that it harnesses our propensity to fear the opinions of others in charting the course of our daily activities. It is a trap that can keep us positioned in the same lifestyle even when we are aware that our activities displease God. It often comes down to a motivation springing from our fear of man as opposed to a healthy fear of God. Culture is what a community chooses to celebrate and what it will not tolerate and our modern secular culture celebrates the independence of the individual to choose what he or she seeks often without regard to the natural morality of the seeking and it often addresses as intolerant the voices of those who challenge the right of the individual to seek what to the Christian perspective is seen as immoral.
A Christian culture on the other hand is built on the values of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom celebrates the values of Kingdom life which are love, compassion, mercy, humility and trust in God and it will not tolerate the secular view that God is displaced by prideful man or woman who look to themselves rather than to God for direction and sustenance.
This juxtaposition in cultural positioning is viewed in the social but also in the political milieu. But unfortunately, it can also be viewed in the Christian community where the inclination of some Christians is to not rock the boat. There is great danger for the Christian to allow the fear of man to override the fear of God.
The Kerygma is all about the redemptive role of Jesus in providing for the rescue of humankind after the Fall recorded in the Book of Genesis. It is through Jesus that we have access to the bridge to the Father by virtue of our baptism. That Bridge is supported by the “Word” and by the values of the Kingdom of God. It is a bridge well worth travelling but we must be transformed by the values of the Kingdom, particularly the value of sacrificial love which in its implementation really embraces the other Kingdom Values preached by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.
We Christians are “in” the world to find or own way to the Bridge, with the help of the Holy Spirit, but also to assist others to find their way as proclaimed in scripture [Mathew 28: 19-20] but we can’t allow our “in” the world status to cause us to be polluted by the “of” the world sentiments that can cause us to lose access to the Bridge to the Father. On the other hand, by adopting Kingdom values and by relying on the Holy Spirit to direct us we can help others to navigate to the Bridge as they pursue a personal relationship with Jesus that sees them safely over the Bridge when it is their turn to greet the Father. God is so merciful and he wants everyone to be saved. He wants us, as missionary disciples, to be navigators in accompaniment to those whose hearts have been touched by the Holy Spirit as they seek to find the God that so strongly thirsts for them. We can best witness to this by being “in” the world not “of” the world.
God Gracious 