Page 6 - Christ and Culture Textbook

detrimental effects on the believer’s walk with Christ, on the lives of others, or on the church. This
consideration must be brought to bear any time Christians contemplate a course of action.
All things are lawful … not helpful. That may have been a Corinthian slogan. It was true that no matter
what sins a believer commits, God forgives (Eph. 1:7), but not everything they did was profitable or
beneficial. The price of abusing freedom and grace was very high. Sin always produces loss. power. Sin
has power. The word means “mastered” (Rom. 6:14), and no sin is more enslaving than sexual sin. While
it can never be the unbroken pattern of a true believer’s life, it can be the recurring habit that saps joy,
peace, usefulness and brings divine chastening and even church discipline. 1 Thess. 4:3–5. Sexual sin
controls, so the believer must never allow sin to have that control but must master it in the Lord’s
strength. Paul categorically rejects the ungodly notion that freedom in Christ gives license to sin (cf.
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Rom. 7:6; 8:13, 21).

Believers should Not be mastered by anything. Followers of Christ are to be free from the mastery of all
earthly desires, so they may serve Christ faithfully.
There was a great deal of sexual laxness in the city of Corinth. It was a permissive society with a
philosophy similar to that which the world has today: Sex is a normal physical function, so why not use it
as you please? Paul pointed out that God created sex when He made the first man and woman, and
therefore He has the right to tell us how to use it. The Bible is the “owner’s manual” and it must be
obeyed. God condemns sexual sins; Paul named some of them in 1 Corinthians 6:9. In that day, idolatry
and sensuality went together. “Effeminate” and “abusers” describe the passive and active partners in a
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homosexual relationship.

Transition: In our culture, many forms of sexual sin are considered legitimate and right. Just as in
Corinth, many Christians in modern times find themselves sympathizing, even agreeing, with the world’s
evaluations of sexuality, and of many other sins. We also need to hear Paul’s call to become aware of
our cultural blind spots, so we can submit ourselves to God’s teaching rather than continue in our
immorality.
Cultural issues are growing in complexity.
Christians are easily influenced by the standards of the world. When we grow up in a culture that tells us
certain practices are good, we tend to embrace these practices even as we follow Christ.
Every Christian has such cultural blind spots. We follow wrong cultural practices because we are blind to
their evil. We all face the influence of family, friends, church, and human alliances in our person’s life.

Different people and events have shaped our values. There are cultural forces in life that challenges our
values. You would agree with me that the issues we encounter providentially in life that has influenced
us for good or bad. Christians should be deeply concerned about their own moral development. It is
particularly important that we understand the guiding principles of the Bible. Christian principles are to
guide us. We must see ourselves, our desires and our motives clearly through the Lenses of Scriptures.

Principles of Conduct must be set.
The principles we have set for ourselves are going to dictate our reaction to every situation that arises,
be it at church, on the job, at home with the family, or in a strange place. Jesus said in Matthew 7:24,

1 John MacArthur Jr., ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed. (Nashville, TN: Word Pub., 1997),
1737.

2 Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 588.

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