Resources/Articles
The Spirit of the Age
He that justifieth the wicked, and
he that condemneth the righteous,
both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
Proverbs 17:15
Every age has its own thoughts, ideas, and values that influence the culture, the “spirit of the age.” For the last couple of generations, we have witnessed a system of right and wrong flip flop. It has subtly attached itself to the hearts of man. We have been lulled to sleep by its pattern, which has gradually caused us to accept society’s latest values.
The apostle Paul called this corrupting atmosphere the “course of this world.” Describing the lives of the believers at Ephesus before they knew of and understood about Christ, he said they were “dead in trespasses and sins” and “walked according to the course of this world” (Ephesians 2:1,2). This is the world’s peer pressure. It is a system of values and ideas inspired by Satan. It cultivates a lifestyle independent of God. It does not need God’s approval. All it looks for is a group, no matter how small or large, to sympathize with its conditions or decisions. Satan loves those who will find justification for wickedness and blame the righteous for being too judgmental. Will such a course ever reverse itself?
Jesus intends for us to live in the world (John 17:15). He knows worldly influences are impossible to escape and has made preparation for Christians to know how to handle these ideas and values when they appear. It is the same method he gave his apostles before his crucifixion and death in John 17:15-17: “I pray no that thou shouldest take them from the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth.” The words of Christ should so permeate our thinking that we do not have to become conformed to the world’s values (Romans 12:1,2). Setting our hearts aside to indulge in the words of God is what Jesus hoped for in his apostles. It gave them courage and it helps us walk in his light (Ephesians 5:8), in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25), in love (Ephesians 5:2), in truth (3 John 4), and in Christ (Colossians 2:6).
When we walk in the power of God’s Word, he gives us strength, wisdom, and hope to live according to kingdom values and not the spirit of the age. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). While living in the world, place your allegiance in heaven.
