Bible, Not Society

As Christians, we live in this world, but not of this world. Jesus asked the Father to keep believers (and specifically, His church) from the evil that pervades the world (John 17:14-15). How can we stay protected from the evil in this world? Through the discernment from and practice of the Word of God.

The Bible teaches that the world has a course it follows, a route, a way of thinking, a way of accepted behaviors. It is a course masterminded by Satan (Eph. 2:2). People walk in these ways because they are dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1). Because the world’s system is ungodly, it can’t get anything truly right. A society might have some practices that have right qualities, but it can’t do the action with a Biblical centeredness or with Scriptural motivations. For instance, generations ago parents spanked their children; but they did it as a last resort, as a reaction, or without accompanying Biblical instruction. The Bible teaches spanking differently.

In many ways, society defines the terms and pressures the community to fit in. The farther a society veers from God’s Word, the worse the course gets. For believers, we look to God’s Word for guidance, not society.