Those who use words like "relevant" in terms of the gospel or the Bible, are engaging in manipulation. They are not saying we need to read the Bible because it is relevant to all periods in time. They are attempting to intimidate others into complacency about sin, that if we properly understand our culture then we will change the meaning in the Word to fit the life of believers in the year 2014 and beyond.
What does the word "relevance" really mean? Relevance according to the Websters New World dictionary means, "relating to the matter under consideration."
In other words everything must be re-evaluated to fit into the modern world. The Bible is not relevant in our modern world, so we have to twist it to maintain continuity with what is going on in the world today. This word "relevance" is nothing more than an red herring to shame those who would use the Bible as their standard. It leaves a weak believer feeling that they may be too harsh or too strict by their insistence in obedience to the Word of God.
Watch out for these deceptive and manipulative words. We are called to consider everything in light of the Bible, not what is going on in the world. The Bible states very clearly that love of the world angers God.
1 John 2:15-16 "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"
When the apostate church reaches out in "worldly love" to the sinner, enticing them into the church, removing the shame of their sin through glad happy slaps on the back, while minimizing their sin through excuses, are enabling them, rather than helping them to see the need to repent (change their mind) and trust Christ for their cleansing.
The modern church treats those in sin with such kid gloves that they feel comfortable and validated by those in the church. Those who are on their way to hell, should feel uncomfortable around believers, after all, the Holy Spirit lives in us and convicts the world of sin.
Perhaps one of the reason many unsaved people are comfortable in the apostate church, is because most "Christians" in these gatherings have never been born again. Their spirit does not convict sinner of their sinfulness, they are one with these evil doers.
I once heard it said by a "Christian" that she was happy that she had all kinds of friends, not just Bible believers, but homosexuals and those in many different religions. I was shocked and irritated by this, mainly because of the acceptance of evil that loomed over her.
We should be as miserable around wickedness as we are in the presence of satan himself. Our spirit should stir in unrest at the presence of evil. When we think it is good to be able to brag that we are very diverse in our relationships, then we love the world and sin, more than we care anything about Christ.
IF the Spirit of Christ does not stir within us at the presence of evil, then perhaps we do not have the Spirit of Christ, but more likely we have the spirit of the anti-christ.
Anyone who had sensed the presence of evil and wants to run from it, will know what I am talking about. There is an ugly unsettledness that comes over our being when we are faced with wickedness.
Romans 12:9 "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good."
We are to hate evil and run to what is good. If we say we enjoy the company of the evil doer, then we are contrary to God and are hypocritical in claiming we are believers in love with Christ.
Those who would be angered by this message may need to go to God and ask Him if they were ever born again. The more we love Christ the greater is our hatred for sin.
