Those who paid attention to their grammar lessons may remember learning
that the prefix "con" means to oppose. As applied to the word contemporary,
what principle would be opposed? Before answering that question, we must
consider the meaning behind the remainder of the word, which is rooted
in "tempus"… In utilizing the dictionary, I discovered that temporal things
are opposed to eternal. They pertain to this life only and are not perpetual.
Temporary, of course, means for a limited time only. To temporize something
is to comply with the time or occasion, to humor or yield to the current
of opinion or to circumstances or to fashions.
Given that total understanding of the nature of the word "contemporary",
should born-again, blood-bought children of God aspire to classify themselves
as one who is compliant with the times or as one who lives in union with
this world? Even as I browsed through the dictionary examining words beginning
with "contem", the general meaning behind them was rooted in pride and
negativity, often associated with the act of despising something…
James 4:4
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the
world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the
world is the enemy of God.
You may think this a harsh portion of scripture, but ladies, if we are
joined to Christ through our salvation, to closely associate ourselves
or comply with the nature of this world is to commit spiritual adultery!
Would you say you have more of a friendship going with God or with the
world? You cannot have both, for the Bible says no man can serve two masters…
Matthew 6:24
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love
the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye
cannot serve God and mammon.
How interesting to find the word despise used within this portion of scripture
- the very meaning behind the formation of the word contemporary! You
see, you cannot and should not be a contemporary Christian if you say
you love God and are a member of His family. Some leaders and writers,
in the name of Christianity, have gone so far as to teach principles that
redefine, or even revise biblical truths to accommodate the standards
of contemporary thinking in the world! Contemporary Christians are, in
a nutshell, buddies with this world. Actually, they try to fit into both
worlds but fail to realize the more they align themselves with the current
opinions of society, the further they drift from God's opinion of things!
Hence, they become opposed to things eternal and turn out to be an enemy
of God.
Ladies, God would have you and I to make our choice clear - is it Him
or this world you prefer? Can others tell your decision? Or is it unclear
to everyone where your true allegiance lies? The Lord requires the whole
heart and detests that which creates in us a contemporary nature and a
divided outlook. Neutrality is not possible in relation to spiritual things.
If you truly love God, you would be willing to give up your friendship
with the world! You would run from that which would cause you to be classified
as contemporary…
Matthew 12:30a
He that is not with me is against me…
In what ways do Christian's make friends with this world? In the music
they listen to, in their recreational choices, in the way they dress,
the way they talk, and in the attitudes they take - or don't take! Does
the music you listen to fall under the category of contemporary? It does
if it is a mixture of both worlds - godly words with a worldly beat. What
about your wardrobe selections, dear lady? Do you adorn yourself with
the current fashions of the day, regardless of the modesty factor, or
is it apparent to folks that this world is not your home? Certainly, I
am not talking about purposely dressing to look like an oddball from another
planet, but striving to make it evident that you live to both please and
reflect the Lord Jesus Christ in your attire rather than dressing to meet
the approval of this world. What about your recreational activities, including
the movies you watch? I find it distressing to see how familiar Christians
are with mainstream entertainment! Many of God's people even suppose that
because they employ a device that blocks bad language from their television
they are free to watch all movies now - but what about the content? How
do you block that from your heart and mind?? What type of standards do
you use before you settle on how you will spend your free time?
Romans 12:2a
And be not conformed to this world…
In closing, if the world controls your thinking, you will be conformed
to it; if God controls your thinking, you will be transformed into His
image and likeness. You can't hide the evidence! Hence, we must beware
of that which would cause us to neglect God's view of things and forsake
it for "popular" belief, and in the end become nothing more than a contemporary
Christian - one who is yielded to present day judgments. Our perspective
must throughly match the Lord's!
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2002 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2003
