Worldliness

“According to a new survey by Pew Research, half of self-identified Christians in America say casual sex is sometimes or always acceptable. The survey defined casual sex as sex between consenting adults who are not in a committed romantic relationship.” - TGC

“To what extent do we, American Christians especially, allow our Christianity to be shaped and re-shaped by contemporary American culture? Are we supposed to stand out rather than (just) fit in? To what extent?

One result: “I don’t know that… that God is actually going to show up in this gathering. So I’ve got to make something happen. I’ve got to make people feel something. I’ve got to make them feel moved. I’ve got to make them feel engaged.” - TGC

“A new report released Tuesday by the Cultural Research Center (CRC) of Arizona Christian University has a troubling conclusion…. Unlike the Protestant Reformation, whose goal was to return to the foundational teachings of the Bible, this modern movement is one where Americans are redefining biblical beliefs according to secular values.”- C.Leaders

“Matt Chandler, lead pastor of The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas, recently criticized the amusement-driven church and encouraged Christians to participate in the Body of Christ for the purposes of discipleship and community — not entertainment.” - Christian Post

“The church in the U.S. is strong numerically, but weak because it is worldly. The church in America is in the world and of the world; and as a result, it is in profound cultural captivity.” - Christianity Today

“John—in his typical black-and-white style—asserts that loving the Father and loving the world are mutually exclusive. You can’t love both simultaneously.”

The notion that we must win the world’s esteem before the gospel can do its work is, I’m convinced, a spiritually crippling error that underlies most of the trends currently vying for widespread acceptance within the so-called evangelical movement.

“[A]ny Christian who even suggests that drinking and smoking and consuming entertainment is not necessarily the wisest testimony to present before the world, are shamed as being legalists. They will be labeled the ‘weaker’ brothers…”

“These five paradigms are points along a spectrum. Often individuals fall into these categories inconsistently over time or in different areas of life.” TIFWE