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How to live a Spiritual Life in a Corrupt Society
How is it possible to live a deeply spiritual life when one must be in a worldly marriage, family, and environment? How can one survive spiritually when he has a compromising job or must live with an abusive and unspiritual spouse? How can we have hope and lift our heads when around us evil swirls viciously while the perverse are lauded as role models?
To survive, God requires us to set our mind on heavenly things (Col. 3:1-2), to seek first His kingdom and righteousness (Mat. 6:33), as well as to live out our life as a devoted husband or wife, father or mother (Col. 3:18-20; Eph. 5:22-33). He also says that we need to conduct ourselves wisely around ungodly people (1 Cor. 5:10; Mark 16:15), and live in the world as if citizens of another spiritual world (John 17:11).
The Lord wants us to be separate from the world and its evil ways. We have to be determine to keep from the world’s thinking and living according to the evil ways of the sinful world that is at war with God and His truth. Paul writes, “The wisdom of this world is foolishness before God” (1 Cor. 3:19). He also says that we must guard our hearts from the philosophy of the world: “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ” (Col. 2:8). We must both accept and chose to be different!
What we see is the world does not have a fear of God anymore, namely the Western culture has shifted from a faith in God, to a faith in mankind starting around the Industrial Revolution in the 18th to 19th centuries. Paul describes the guilt of all people by saying that “there is no fear of God before their eyes” (Rom. 3:18). Since it is “by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil” (Prov. 16:6), we see the end result of not having a wholesome honor, respect, and fear of the Lord: Sin will have no hindrance.
The only way for us to face the world and the evil one is to be immersed in the Word of God which purifies us unto Holiness which results in the Holy Spirit's abiding in power! The Word produces faith (2 Tim. 3:15), saves (James 1:21), cleanses the heart (John 15:3), and sets us apart from sin (John 17:17). God’s Word helps us to grow (1 Peter 2:2), keeps us from sin (Psalm 119:11), reveals truth (Psalm 119:160), gives us encouragement (Rom. 15:4), and builds us up in the faith (Acts 20:32). Read it, study it, memorize it, meditate on it, and live it! When we are spiritually fortified with God’s truth in our spirit, we will be able to evaluate all events, people, situations, and movements according to God’s own view and standard. We will not be overcome by the evil that grows bolder around us every day.
To survive, God requires us to set our mind on heavenly things (Col. 3:1-2), to seek first His kingdom and righteousness (Mat. 6:33), as well as to live out our life as a devoted husband or wife, father or mother (Col. 3:18-20; Eph. 5:22-33). He also says that we need to conduct ourselves wisely around ungodly people (1 Cor. 5:10; Mark 16:15), and live in the world as if citizens of another spiritual world (John 17:11).
The Lord wants us to be separate from the world and its evil ways. We have to be determine to keep from the world’s thinking and living according to the evil ways of the sinful world that is at war with God and His truth. Paul writes, “The wisdom of this world is foolishness before God” (1 Cor. 3:19). He also says that we must guard our hearts from the philosophy of the world: “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ” (Col. 2:8). We must both accept and chose to be different!
What we see is the world does not have a fear of God anymore, namely the Western culture has shifted from a faith in God, to a faith in mankind starting around the Industrial Revolution in the 18th to 19th centuries. Paul describes the guilt of all people by saying that “there is no fear of God before their eyes” (Rom. 3:18). Since it is “by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil” (Prov. 16:6), we see the end result of not having a wholesome honor, respect, and fear of the Lord: Sin will have no hindrance.
The only way for us to face the world and the evil one is to be immersed in the Word of God which purifies us unto Holiness which results in the Holy Spirit's abiding in power! The Word produces faith (2 Tim. 3:15), saves (James 1:21), cleanses the heart (John 15:3), and sets us apart from sin (John 17:17). God’s Word helps us to grow (1 Peter 2:2), keeps us from sin (Psalm 119:11), reveals truth (Psalm 119:160), gives us encouragement (Rom. 15:4), and builds us up in the faith (Acts 20:32). Read it, study it, memorize it, meditate on it, and live it! When we are spiritually fortified with God’s truth in our spirit, we will be able to evaluate all events, people, situations, and movements according to God’s own view and standard. We will not be overcome by the evil that grows bolder around us every day.