1st John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
This passage of scripture teaches us that as Christians, the standards, customs, and practices of the world are to be no criteria for us, in influencing what we do and the choices we make. The world as we know it has never been in harmony with God, since our first parents fell, and it was only because of His own initiative that The Lord chose to reserve a remnant, and peculiar people to Himself, or else the knowledge of God would have long been obliterated from the face of the earth. The word peculiar basically means not average, nor the run of the mill, but rather a special treasure that is out of the ordinary.
As it pertains to His people, this will translate into us being widely different in principles and customs than the average Joe who has no knowledge of God. Now, it's very important for us to understand that "Peculiar" does not mean exclusive, so that we erroneously think of our selves as the only ones being entitled to God's grace. No individual is entitled to anything from God, including His grace and mercy, for we have all sinned and come short of His glory, and by our previous choices in times past, have selected another leader other than Christ.
However, now that He has brought us to Himself through Jesus, He desires that we not live according to the ideals and philosophies that abound in the secular world, but rather that our thoughts, actions, and decision-making processes be guided by His word alone, even when this puts us at odds with the popular majority, who often think and act otherwise. Let's read:
1st Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God"...
Thus, in harmony with this description of our high and holy calling, we are mandated to live according to the Biblical rules and standards set forth for the chosen people of God, and not to let fads, fashions, or popular opinion guide our thoughts and actions. In other words, a Christian will not purchase dresses and shoes, or hats and purses, merely because they are the "In" thing, but will rather employ godly wisdom and discretion by first asking ourselves, do we really need such and such items at this time, and are we being moved to spend, just because it is the latest fad on the block?.
We have all observed that there are very long lines of individuals, waiting to make purchases whenever a company like Apple releases its latest version of an electronic gadget, and we have all seen the lengths to which some will go in order to be the first to own such products. Long lines of people waiting in the snow for days on end, have been observed, and it savors of a sort of worship, with penance, when we see multitudes braving the elements, merely to have the latest gizmo. What is worthy of note in many cases, is that there in no real need for such items, but fad is the driving force behind such decisions in most cases.
Let us therefore not allow ourselves to be swayed by the world and its customs and practices, for the true people of God are to be found standing on a much higher platform of principled action, than that which moves the world to make senseless choices, which many regret later on. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which demonstrates how our every move should be guided, and if we are willing and humble enough to cooperate with God, He will be more than pleased to guide our feet into safe paths, so that we do not make any serious errors in judgment, which will cause us only heartache and loss. Let's read:
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!