Cultures and Their Influences (In Lieu of October Heritages) Kelly Durant

Cultures and their Influences                                Kelly Durant 10-22-17

Romans 12:2 ²And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God

2. Whether we notice it or not the culture, our environment, affects us profoundly and we imitate it and identify with it subconsciously, not even noticing how we are! For example, when I was around the Koreans a lot in Atlanta, I had a habit like them to say, “Good morning!” bowing my head!

Ask yourself, what is culture anyway? Is it a certain lifestyle? Certain foods and music? Certain races with certain geographical backgrounds?

Actually, culture is all of these things, but it is even more. Now consider, where does politics and religion come into play in influencing our way of thinking? Have you ever considered that parts of your way of thinking may be wrong according to the Bible due to your past influences of culture, politics, superstitions, traditions, and habits that were generationally passed down to you?  

3. Let’s take the cultural example of Paul of Tarsus who was an internationally experienced person. Did he claim his Jewish and Roman heritage? Those two dominated the regions back then and both had their sins and faults!

He could not deny who he was by race, education, and culture, but after coming to Jesus, after having light come in and expose the sin, he later stated that all of who he was, by pride of race, by education, by culture all amounted to something worthless (dung), remember?       

Philippians 3:8
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

4. He could not change who he was by race nor by birth position in the society yet he allowed Jesus to transform his way of thinking and being into something better than his heritage with the heritage of Jesus. And it is a universal timeless truth, like all scripture in the Bible, that we must transform ourselves by the renewing of our minds, so we are doing God’s will! Jesus basically said to just become like a little child again which implies getting back to simplicity and obedience!  

Matthew 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Paul is like all of us here, we cannot deny our genetics and past influences. Like Jesus said, that we cannot change anything about us, nor make one hair on our head a different color.  Matthew 5:36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

5. But if we really seek the essence of Paul’s writings we discover he was quite harsh to judge and correct the mistakes of his own people, those of his own race, of his own cultural, and of his own patronage. How many of you are quick to point out the faults & sins of your own kind?

He was the one that knew the Jews and Romans best, and what was good in both and with Jesus he could distinguish, judge, and discern what was good or bad in the details of their beliefs and behaviors. These things we discover in the book of Hebrews and the book of Romans. And he even corrects quite strongly the Greeks in Corinthians, even though they were not of his culture. Why? Because God’s word is to be used to correct and to change us totally in our minds and attitudes!

2 Timothy 3:16  ¹⁶All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

6. Everyone who comes to the Lord has to be willing to culturally become something they are not. (repeat) You and I must conscientiously adapt to the new Christian culture and lifestyle. It is the becoming of being a “new creature” who thinks and acts differently! It is the culture of the Kingdom of God which represents righteousness, and no nation on earth has any claim to that, all cultures and nations are corrupt but in different ways.

In many cultures certain sins are acceptable, while in others they are not. For example, a bribe to a government official to get a document paper stamped is, in many places, the accepted way of getting it done, especially if you need it now not tomorrow! They also use to say to me all the time, “Vuelva manana!” and I got tired of that pretty quick so I learned to bring a few extra dollars.  However, here, or in Europe, a bribe would be considered an insult and could even get you in serious trouble with the law!

But man’s laws are never God’s laws. Societies that have laws adapted from the Bible live with more peace and order than the ones that don’t, and to compare the laws here (or of your country) with those of the Bible would be a whole different study for another day. There are currently too many unbiblical laws!

7. But what happens when cultures go down the wrong path with their laws? The ignorant people follow but they are punished, but the wise ones, the Christian ones with the discernment of the Holy Spirit, stand up for God’s position despite the multitudes that accept the perversions, blasphemies, and cruel abuses.

I think Paul died in the hands of the Romans in part because he attacked the sins of the Roman culture head on! He made it clear from chapter 1 that all their idolatry and sexual perversion was evil and they would pay with their souls in hell and today people still hate Paul, and the Bible for exposing and condemning their horrible disrespect for God and perverse carnal indulgence.

Rome fell and lost everything, humiliated and ransacked by their neighboring barbarians, and so is the fate of all God defying, proud, carnal people and cultures that disobey God.

8. Cultures can get out of control! Here today, most of you identify with the American culture we live in, where your home is and probably you will be even more American influenced by the time you pass on. For example, when the government and corporations spend money like there is no tomorrow, with no responsibility or accountability, it sends a message to the people that this is acceptable!

But what happens when this is translated into each family and personal situation. Most Americans owe about $15,000 on their credit cards, along with owing dozens of thousands more for their house and cars!

It is the same scenario as the prodigal son. One son was faithful and had riches and blessings year after year with his father at home, while the other one decided to spend it all in the big city. We do not have a time scale for him, but the money was gone within a year, or within a few years and absolute, humiliating poverty took over. Sound familiar to our economy today noticing how the sins of unlimited partying, gambling, trade in sex and drugs, has affected our communities?

9. Cultures & places change. Miami was a vacationing city for decades with Desi Arnez and Cuban music but Miami in the 80’s & 90’s seemed to take a turn to becoming rich with all the drug dealers throwing money around. People thought it was all well & good, but today it has all gone sour. Currently some people are having to leave Miami like a ghost town since much of the gold is gone from the mine. The party of the past decades is over and the unemployment is purging everyone!

Change in the laws and economy, as in Roman times are permitting the laws of this land to become more and more accepting of promiscuous and lascivious perversions which we observe are contributing to the bankruptcy of the nation, spiritually and economically, and what can we do about it?

Romans 12:2 ²And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God

10. We must not conform to our culture and their generationally passed down faults, which are of this world, we must make an effort to change our way of thinking, and consequently our way of doing everything with God’s word! And here it also states, “to prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God”. We cannot undo a nations past, but we are the future.

Seeing the corruption is difficult but at the same time you and I must recognize that there is a lot of good and acceptable things in our cultures. There is happy music to dance by, good food, folkloric poetry and literature and many things are not sinful but God given for us to enjoy. But we must discern with minds, as having minds like those in the Kingdom of God, what is wrong and what we should accept and what we should reject.

11. Let God judge and purge you today! Do you have a habit from your culture to say everything with double meanings? Do you see TV programs of your culture with violence and sex presented as entertainment and then have an appetite for them? Do you accept the carnal degenerated values of this or any other culture? I am ashamed that currently there is so much hate and putting others down, and the divisive speech and lies from many is not of Jesus.

Take this to heart, you should be becoming more a part of a new culture, and that is the culture of the Kingdom of God! This implies leaving behind the old one you were raised with! God’s culture is loving, accepting of others, and tolerant of differences of tastes in music, food, or dress. The trivial preferences don’t matter, it is the heart that matters! Jesus is our culture!

Is your heart pure, full of holiness and love, full of only good things to say about others, full of rejection for the sinful things that cultures accept that provoke suffering? Is everything about you reflecting the culture of Jesus? If not you are failing Him! Pray to live in and show Jesus culture of love and salvation!