We live in a materialistic society. So apparent is this reality that I believe examples need not be given. As Christians we must be careful that we do not follow after the world in this regard. Paul gives us a sobering warning about having a materialistic attitude:
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“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
Paul warned the saints in Rome that they were not to be conformed to the world. Why was such a warning necessary? What is it that makes conformity to the world such a temptation for Christians? And why does the world want Christians to conform? We will consider these questions in this article.
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Our culture has long promoted the “instant gratification” mindset. We do not want to wait, we want to have our desires realized now. We have credit cards to buy things for which we have yet to earn the money to pay for them. No down payment home loans allow us to move into our own house before we save enough money for a down payment. We can cook our food with microwaves, pay for our gas at the pump, and instantly download music, books, and movies from the internet.
It is not always wrong to receive what we want instantly, but we must guard ourselves against becoming accustomed to that mindset. Expecting the things we want immediately, rather than having to patiently wait for some things, can lead to sin.
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Peer pressure can be a very strong influence for sin. School-aged children are taught to overcome peer pressure and to not follow the crowd when their friends are doing things that they should not do. But despite the continual admonitions, many children ignore these warnings and do what is wrong so that they can fit in. The Proverb writer warned against this very thing.
“My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent” (Proverbs 1:10).
While these warnings are good and necessary for our children, we should not limit our instruction about this to that specific age group. All people, regardless of age, can be tempted in this way. Paul warns the brethren in Corinth about this.
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The Bible plainly labels arrogance as a sin. James tells us that “God is opposed to the proud” (James 4:6). The Proverb writer lists pride as one of the things which the Lord hates (Proverbs 6:16-17).
Arrogance is often mentioned in lists of sins – the sins of the Gentiles (Romans 1:30), those which Paul feared would be found among the saints in Corinth (2 Corinthians 12:20), and the sins of false teachers (2 Timothy 3:2). The reason it can be found in these lists is because arrogance is usually connected to other sins. We can think of arrogance as a “gateway” sin. It opens the door to many others. Often it is the beginning of our downfall.
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A rebel is one who acts against authority. Such action can be good when those who are in authority are corrupt and oppose God (Acts 5:29). But those who refuse to submit to such authorities are not simply being rebellious. They are acting in submission to the higher authority – God. But there are some who simply refuse to submit to anyone in authority – parent, teacher, employer, police officer, government official, even God. They want to be free to do as they please without restrictions placed upon them by others.
Sin occurs when we fail to submit to God. If we want to overcome sin, we must obey God, for sin is a transgression of His law.
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An effective tactic used by the devil is deception. Jesus calls him the “father of lies” (John 8:44). Satan used deception to first introduce sin in the beginning. This threat continues even today.
“But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).
Christians are not immune from the devil’s deceptive tactics. Paul feared the possibility of the brethren in Corinth falling away, being deceived as Eve was. We should not underestimate Satan’s deceit. After all, he is the one who “deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9).
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What does “propitiation” mean? How is “justification” connected to salvation? What does “sanctification” look like in our day-to-day lives? The Bible uses some powerful words to describe God’s plan to save mankind. However, these words are not always easy to understand, especially when they are not part of our everyday vocabulary. This book explores key Bible terms that unlock the message of the gospel.
Big Words in the Bible examines five important words – Propitiation, Reconciliation, Sanctification, Justification, and Resurrection – using plain language to see how the Scriptures describe these concepts and how the apostle Paul employs them in his letter to the Romans. This book also contains an appendix with eleven additional articles to explore these topics further.
Whether you are new to the Bible and want to grow in your understanding or want a simple way to explain these core gospel doctrines to others, this book will be helpful. With a focus on the Scriptures, Big Words in the Bible helps break down these fundamental topics to shed light on the life-changing message of the gospel and the salvation found in it.
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