The new "culturally relevant" Christianity.

The subject of modernism, postmodernism, emerging, and the new "culturally relevant" Christianity, brings us to the fork on the road. We come to the question as to the holiness of God. In the scripture, every time an "Angel of the Lord", Angels or a theophany , men of God fell down and worship as if they were dead. Their mere presence was so powerful, that men could not contain their emotions or their reverence, of these incredible visible manifestations in the Old and New Testaments. But in this new postmodern, "culturally relevant" christianity, it doesn't matter as to the holiness of God in respecting His presence. Even though God resides in every single child of God and walks among us. As if God needed to change His message to appeal to this new generation in keeping up with the times, in order to be reverent. Vulgarity, crudeness profane, deliberately shocking, and just plain following society down the Romans 1 path is a valid way to “engage the culture”, is acceptable in this new "theology"

"Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving." Ephesians 5:4 To trivialized the sexual relationship("crude joking"), or on the other hand to idolize it, is out of step with our identity as "saints." As those called out of the human race (1:4-6) to bear God's restore image (4:24), we can accept God's gift, including sexuality, with thanksgiving, and restore them to their proper use (Proverbs 5:18, 19; 1 Timothy 4:1-5; Hebrews 13:14).

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Ephesians 4:29

"The words of a wise man’s mouth win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him.The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is evil madness. A fool multiplies words, though no man knows what is to be, and who can tell him what will be after him?" Ecclesiastes 10:12-14. Words reveal a person's heart, and what is spoken can have serious consequences (Matt. 12:34-37).

You have no doubt heard the arguments: We need to take the message out of the bottle. We can’t minister effectively if don’t speak the language of contemporary counterculture. If we don’t vernacularize the gospel, contextualize the church, and reimagine Christanity for each succeeding generation, how can we possibly reach young people? Above all else, we have got to stay in step with the times.

Those arguments have been stressed to the point that many evangelicals now seem to think unstylishness is just about the worst imaginable threat to the expansion of the gospel and the influence of the church. They don’t really care if they are worldly. They just don’t want to be thought uncool.

Let’s face it: Many of the world’s favorite fads are toxic, and they are becoming increasingly so as our society descends further in its spiritual death-spiral. It’s like a radioactive toxicity, so while those who immerse themselves in it might not notice its effects instantly, they nevertheless cannot escape the inevitable, soul-destroying contamination. And woe to those who become comfortable with the sinful fads of secular society. The final verse of Romans 1 expressly condemns those “who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

Even when you marry such worldliness with good systematic theology and a vigorous defense of substitutionary atonement, the soundness of the theoretical doctrine doesn’t sanctify the wickedness of the practical lifestyle. The opposite happens. Solid biblical doctrine is trivialized and mocked if we’re not doers of the Word as well as teachers of it.

When Paul spoke to that culture, he didn’t adopt Greek scatology to show off how hip he could be. He simply declared the truth of God’s Word to them in plain language. And not all of his pagan listeners were happy with that (v. 18). That’s to be expected. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18-19).

Even Jesus’ high priestly prayer included a thorough description of the Christian’s proper relationship with and attitude toward the world: “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:14-16).

Whenever Jesus spoke of believers’ being in the world, He stated that if we are faithful, the world will be a place of hostility and persecution, not a zone of comfort. He also invariably followed that theme with a plea for our sanctification (cf. John 17:17-19).

I frankly wonder how any Christian who takes the Bible at face value could ever think that in order to be “culturally relevant” Christians should participate in society’s growing infatuation with vulgarity. Didn’t vulgarity and culture used to be considered polar opposites?

"You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Matt. 12:34-37. "By their CARELESS WORDS" A resounding message by our Lord! Where is the fear of the Lord, in this so called, "culturally relevant" message?