HOW SHOULD WE LIVE IN A CHANGING WORLD?
Scripture & Culture — Study 10
How Can Christians Remain Faithful When the World Around Them Changes?
TEXT B4 TRADITION — Read First. Conclude Later.
1. The World Keeps Changing
Every generation experiences changes in the world around it.
Customs change. Governments change. Technology changes. Ideas about marriage, family, morality, and personal freedom change.
Some changes make life better. Others introduce new problems. And some simply make life different.
How should Christians respond?
Should we resist every change because it is new?
Should we accept every change because society considers it progress?
Or does Scripture teach us another way?
The Bible does not command Christians to preserve every custom of the past or accept every custom of the present.
It calls us to remain faithful to God.
But what does that look like in everyday life?
2. What Does Romans 12:2 Actually Teach?
Read Romans 12:1–2.
Paul urges Christians to present themselves to God as living sacrifices.
He then tells them not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds.
What does conformed mean?
It means allowing something to shape us according to its pattern.
Paul warns Christians against allowing the present age to determine how they think and live.
But notice what he does not say.
He does not say that everything new is sinful.
He does not command Christians to preserve the clothing, language, transportation, or social customs of an earlier generation.
His concern is spiritual and moral transformation.
Christians must learn to recognize what is good, acceptable, and pleasing to God.
The issue is not whether a practice is old or new. The issue is whether it agrees with God's will.
3. Did Christians in the First Century Live in a Changing World?
Yes.
The first Christians lived under Roman rule.
Their society included emperor worship, slavery, competing religions, economic inequality, and widely differing moral customs.
Many converts had grown up worshiping idols.
Jewish and Gentile Christians brought different backgrounds and traditions into the same congregations.
Consider Acts 15.
The church faced a serious question: Must Gentile believers be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses?
Some believed they must.
Others recognized that God had accepted Gentiles without requiring them to become Jews.
The apostles and elders examined what God had done and what Scripture taught.
The decision was not made simply by following Jewish tradition or adopting Gentile customs.
They sought to understand God's will.
That is an important example for Christians facing cultural questions today.
We must examine the evidence rather than assume that familiar customs are necessarily God's commands.
4. What Does It Mean to Be in the World but Not of the World?
Read John 17:14–18.
Jesus prayed for His disciples shortly before His arrest.
He said they were not of the world, just as He was not of the world.
But notice His next words.
He did not ask the Father to take them out of the world.
He asked that they be protected from the evil one.
Then He said He was sending them into the world.
What does this establish?
Jesus did not intend His followers to escape ordinary human society.
They would live among people who did not share their beliefs.
They would face opposition.
Yet they were to remain faithful to Him.
Christians are not called to abandon the world. They are called to live faithfully within it.
That does not mean participating in everything society approves.
Nor does it mean avoiding everyone whose beliefs differ from ours.
5. How Did Jesus Treat People Who Lived Differently?
Read Luke 5:27–32.
Jesus ate with tax collectors and others whom many religious people regarded as sinners.
Some criticized Him for associating with them.
Jesus answered that those who are sick need a physician.
He had come to call sinners to repentance.
Notice two things.
First, Jesus associated with people whose lives were not necessarily consistent with God's will.
Second, His association did not mean He approved of everything they did.
He called people to repentance.
This challenges two opposite assumptions.
Some Christians believe they must avoid people who live differently.
Others believe accepting people requires approving everything they believe or practice.
Jesus' example supports neither extreme.
We can treat people with kindness and respect without pretending that every belief or practice is equally right.
6. Does Love Require Us to Agree With Everyone?
Read Ephesians 4:11–16.
Paul urges Christians to speak the truth in love.
Truth and love are not enemies.
Love does not require us to conceal what Scripture teaches.
But truth does not excuse cruelty, arrogance, or contempt.
Paul's purpose is the spiritual growth of Christ's body.
Consider also 1 Corinthians 13:4–6.
Love is patient and kind.
It is not arrogant or rude.
It does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.
Therefore, biblical love includes both genuine concern for people and commitment to what is true.
We should never use love as an excuse to abandon truth—or truth as an excuse to abandon love.
7. Must Christians Follow Society's Moral Standards?
Read 1 Peter 1:13–16.
Peter calls believers to be holy in all their conduct.
He warns them not to be shaped by their former desires.
He grounds his instruction in God's own holiness.
That establishes the standard.
Christians must not decide right and wrong simply by counting how many people approve of a practice.
Popular opinion can change.
God's character is not determined by public opinion.
However, this does not mean every cultural custom is a moral issue.
Different societies have different foods, languages, greetings, clothing styles, and family customs.
We should not confuse cultural differences with disobedience to God.
Before calling something sinful, we should be able to demonstrate why Scripture actually condemns it.
8. How Do We Distinguish God's Commands From Human Traditions?
Read Mark 7:1–13.
Religious leaders criticized Jesus' disciples for eating without following their traditional washing practices.
Jesus challenged them for treating human traditions as though they carried God's authority.
He quoted Isaiah's warning about teaching human commands as doctrines.
Then He gave an example of a tradition that interfered with God's command to honor one's parents.
The problem was not simply that the leaders had traditions.
The problem was that they elevated traditions above God's word.
This is especially important when culture changes.
Christians may become attached to customs they have practiced for many years.
But age does not make a custom divine law.
Likewise, popularity does not make a new practice right.
Our task is to distinguish what God has commanded from what people have become accustomed to doing.
9. What About Practices Scripture Does Not Specifically Address?
Read Romans 14:1–13.
Paul discusses disagreements among Christians over food and the observance of particular days.
Some believers held convictions that others did not share.
Paul warned them against judging or despising one another over these matters.
His point was not that God's commands are optional.
He was discussing matters in which believers had different convictions without a universal prohibition requiring the same practice of everyone.
The distinction matters.
A Christian may choose to avoid a particular activity for reasons of conscience.
But that does not automatically establish that God has forbidden the activity for everyone.
We should also consider 1 Corinthians 8–10, where Paul explains how freedom must be exercised with concern for others.
Christian freedom is not permission to ignore God's commands, but personal convictions should not automatically become laws for everyone else.
10. What Does Christian Freedom Require?
Read Galatians 5:13–14.
Paul tells Christians that they were called to freedom.
But he immediately warns them not to use that freedom as an opportunity for the flesh.
Instead, they should serve one another through love.
Freedom brings responsibility.
A Christian might be free to participate in an activity but decide not to because it would harm another person.
Another Christian might refuse to participate because of conscience.
Both should examine their motives and the biblical evidence.
Paul's instruction keeps us from two extremes.
One is turning personal preferences into religious laws.
The other is treating freedom as permission to act selfishly.
Christian freedom should be guided by love and responsibility.
11. Should Christians Try to Change Society?
Read Matthew 5:13–16.
Jesus called His disciples the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
He told them to let their light shine so that others would see their good works and glorify their Father in heaven.
Christians should have a positive influence on the people around them.
They should demonstrate honesty, kindness, justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
But we should distinguish influence from control.
Jesus did not instruct His disciples to establish a political government through which everyone would be forced to practice Christianity.
He sent them to teach, make disciples, and demonstrate God's character.
Individual Christians may also serve their communities through public responsibilities, including government.
But the church's mission should not be confused with a political campaign.
The Christian's first responsibility is to be faithful to Christ, not to gain control over society.
12. How Should Christians Respond to Unjust Treatment?
Read Romans 12:17–21.
Paul tells believers not to repay evil for evil.
They should seek what is honorable and, as far as it depends on them, live peaceably with everyone.
He warns against personal revenge.
Instead, they should overcome evil with good.
This does not mean Christians must approve injustice.
Nor does it prohibit every appeal to lawful protection.
Paul himself used his rights as a Roman citizen when he was treated unlawfully (Acts 16:35–39; 22:25–29).
The distinction is between seeking what is right and taking personal revenge.
Christians may oppose wrongdoing without becoming wrongdoers themselves.
13. What Should Christians Do When Government and Faith Conflict?
Read Romans 13:1–7 and Acts 5:27–29.
Paul teaches that governing authorities have a role in maintaining public order.
Christians should ordinarily respect lawful authority.
But Acts 5 records a situation in which the apostles were ordered to stop teaching in Jesus' name.
Peter answered that they must obey God rather than men.
These passages must be read together.
Romans 13 does not mean every command from a government is morally right.
Acts 5 does not mean Christians may disregard any law they dislike.
The apostles faced a direct command to abandon a responsibility Christ had given them.
Respect for government is important, but obedience to God remains the higher obligation.
14. How Should We Treat People Who Disagree With Us?
Read 1 Peter 3:13–17.
Peter tells Christians to be ready to explain their hope.
But he specifies the manner of their response.
They should answer with gentleness and respect.
Consider also 2 Timothy 2:23–26.
Paul warns against foolish quarrels.
He instructs the Lord's servant to be kind, patient, and gentle when correcting opponents.
The goal is not humiliation.
It is that others may come to recognize the truth.
This does not guarantee that everyone will agree with us.
But it establishes how Christians should behave.
Disagreement does not cancel our responsibility to treat others with dignity.
15. Must Christians Speak About Every Controversy?
No.
Our previous study, Can Christians Be Silent?, examined this question in detail.
Sometimes faithfulness requires us to speak.
The apostles refused to stop proclaiming Jesus.
At other times, silence is wise.
Jesus did not answer every accusation brought against Him.
Ecclesiastes 3:7 recognizes a time to keep silence and a time to speak.
James 1:19 tells believers to be quick to hear and slow to speak.
These passages do not contradict one another.
They address different circumstances.
Christians must not deny Christ or neglect responsibilities God has given them. But they are not required to participate in every argument.
16. What About New Technology?
The Bible does not mention smartphones, social media, artificial intelligence, or the internet.
Does that mean Scripture has nothing to say about how we use them?
No.
Biblical principles still apply.
Consider Ephesians 4:25, which commands truthfulness.
Consider Ephesians 4:29, which warns against harmful speech and encourages words that build others up.
Consider Philippians 4:8, which directs attention toward what is true, honorable, just, pure, and commendable.
Technology creates new ways to communicate, but it does not eliminate our responsibility for what we communicate.
A false statement does not become acceptable because it is shared online.
Cruelty does not become kindness because it appears in a comment.
And a new tool is not automatically evil merely because previous generations did not possess it.
We should judge how technology is used by biblical principles rather than by whether the technology itself is new.
17. How Can Christians Live Peacefully With Others?
Read Romans 12:18.
Paul writes:
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (ESV)
Notice the qualifications.
If possible.
So far as it depends on you.
Paul recognizes that peace does not depend on one person alone.
Christians cannot guarantee that everyone will respond kindly.
But they can control their own conduct.
They can refuse unnecessary hostility.
They can listen carefully.
They can speak respectfully.
They can avoid turning every disagreement into a personal conflict.
And they can remain faithful without demanding that everyone approve of their convictions.
Peacefulness is not the same as surrendering our beliefs.
It is the determination to behave honorably even when others disagree.
18. What Should We Teach Our Children and Grandchildren?
Read Deuteronomy 6:4–9 and Ephesians 6:4.
Moses instructed Israel to teach God's commands diligently to their children.
Paul instructed fathers to bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
The two passages arise in different covenant settings, but both demonstrate the importance of teaching the next generation.
What should we teach?
Not merely which opinions to hold.
We should teach them how to read Scripture.
How to examine context.
How to distinguish commands from examples and human conclusions.
How to recognize weak arguments.
How to treat people respectfully.
And how to remain faithful when others disagree.
Children who merely memorize our conclusions may struggle when they encounter new questions.
Children who learn to examine Scripture carefully have a foundation for addressing questions we may never have imagined.
We should teach the next generation not only what we believe, but why we believe it.
19. Does Faithfulness Mean Preserving the Past?
Not necessarily.
Consider the early church.
Jewish believers had inherited centuries of religious customs.
Some customs came from God's commands under the Law of Moses.
Others came from human traditions.
The coming of Christ required believers to recognize the fulfillment of the Law and the establishment of the new covenant.
Hebrews 8:6–13 explains that Christ is the mediator of a better covenant.
Hebrews 10:1–18 explains the sufficiency of His sacrifice.
Faithfulness to God did not mean preserving every practice from Israel's earlier covenant.
It meant recognizing what God had accomplished through Christ.
Likewise, Christians today should not assume that the practices of a previous century are necessarily more biblical than those of the present.
Some older practices may be wise.
Others may be merely familiar.
Faithfulness means holding to God's word—not treating the customs of our childhood as though they were inspired Scripture.
20. What Should Never Change?
Read Hebrews 13:8.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (ESV)
The verse affirms Christ's continuing faithfulness and unchanging identity.
But we should not use it to claim that every church custom or human interpretation must remain unchanged.
Our understanding may need correction.
Our methods of communication may change.
Our circumstances certainly change.
What must remain is our loyalty to Christ and His teaching.
Consider also Matthew 28:18–20.
Jesus declared that all authority had been given to Him.
He commanded His apostles to make disciples and teach them to observe everything He had commanded.
That authority does not depend on changing cultural opinion.
The church must remain faithful to Christ even as the world around it changes.
21. What Are the Two Mistakes We Must Avoid?
Mistake One: Accepting Everything the Culture Accepts
This approach assumes that changing public opinion determines what is right.
But Romans 12:2 warns against being conformed to the present age.
Christians must examine society's beliefs and practices in light of God's will.
Mistake Two: Rejecting Everything Because It Is New
This approach assumes that older customs are automatically more faithful.
But Mark 7 warns against elevating human traditions to the level of God's commands.
Christians must not confuse familiarity with biblical authority.
What is the better approach?
Examine each question carefully.
Read the relevant passages.
Understand their historical and literary context.
Distinguish what Scripture teaches from what we infer.
And avoid claiming more authority for our conclusions than the evidence permits.
Neither popularity nor tradition determines truth. Scripture must be examined in context.
22. What Have We Learned From Scripture?
Let us summarize the evidence.
Romans 12:1–2: Christians must not allow the present age to determine their moral standards.
John 17:14–18: Jesus sent His disciples into the world rather than removing them from it.
Luke 5:27–32: Jesus associated with sinners without abandoning His call to repentance.
Ephesians 4:15: Christians should speak the truth in love.
Mark 7:1–13: Human traditions must not replace God's commands.
Romans 14:1–13: Believers must not turn every difference of conscience into a reason for condemnation.
Galatians 5:13–14: Christian freedom should be exercised through love.
Matthew 5:13–16: Christians should demonstrate their faith through good works.
Romans 12:17–21: Christians should overcome evil with good rather than seek personal revenge.
Acts 5:29: Obedience to God takes priority when human commands directly conflict with His will.
1 Peter 3:15–16: Christians should explain their faith with gentleness and respect.
Hebrews 13:8: Jesus Christ remains the same.
What conclusion follows?
Christians are not called to preserve every custom of the past.
Neither are they called to accept every custom of the present.
They are called to follow Jesus Christ.
That requires knowledge of Scripture, sound judgment, love for others, and the courage to obey God.
23. A Simple Answer
How should Christians live in a changing world?
We should remain faithful to Christ while living among people whose beliefs and customs may differ from ours.
We should neither withdraw from society nor allow society to determine our convictions.
We should examine new questions honestly.
We should distinguish biblical commands from human traditions.
We should exercise freedom responsibly.
We should speak truth with love.
We should treat others with dignity.
And we should be willing to correct our own conclusions when Scripture demonstrates that we have misunderstood something.
The world may change. Our responsibility to follow Christ does not.
24. Questions Worth Considering
Does Romans 12:2 condemn everything new, or something more specific?
Why did Jesus pray that His disciples would remain in the world?
Can Christians associate with people whose conduct they believe is wrong?
What is the difference between loving someone and agreeing with them?
How can we distinguish God's commands from human traditions?
Why should Christians avoid making personal convictions into universal laws?
Does Christian freedom remove our responsibility toward others?
How can Christians influence society without trying to control it?
What should Christians do when a government command conflicts with God's will?
How can we use modern technology without abandoning biblical principles?
What should we teach the next generation about examining Scripture?
Are we sometimes defending traditions rather than biblical truth?
The Final Principle
We do not measure faithfulness by how closely we resemble the culture around us—or by how closely we resemble the culture of the past.
We measure our teaching and conduct against what Scripture actually says.
The goal is not to be old-fashioned.
The goal is not to be modern.
The goal is to be faithful to Jesus Christ.
TEXT B4 TRADITION
Read First. Conclude Later.
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