HOLINESS & CONTEXTUALIZATION (Ken Smith 5/14/23)

HOLINESS AND CONTEXTUALIZATION

(Holiness: Week 4 of 7)

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WHAT IS HOLINESS?

• Holiness is the character of God, as separate from all else and all others.

• To be holy is to be set apart by God, and unto God, and for His glory.

Like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior.

(1 Peter 1:15)

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WHAT IS CONTEXTUALIZATION?

Contextualization is adapting the subject matter to fit the conditions or expectations of the environment or audience.

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CHRISTIAN CONTEXTUALIZATION

1 Corinthians 9:20-22: To the jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I HAVE BECOME ALL THINGS TO ALL MEN, SO THAT I MAY BY ALL MEANS SAVE SOME.

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1. To use all your experience and past to be able to relate to others:

Experience - Military / Business / Employment

Ability - Athletic / Musical / Acting / Crafts

Hobbies - Fishing / Hunting / Scrap booking / Camping

Challenges - Loss of a child / Cancer / Disability

2. Use all of your life to Build a Bridge of communication and concern into the lives of others - so Christ can walk across.

Look for connections in the circumstances and environments you encounter to identify with others to create opportunities for God-conversations.

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THE DANGER OF CONTEXTUALIZATION

When We:

Compromise personal holiness or compromise the gospel -

To achieve personal acceptance or to avoid rejection from others.

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Whereas Paul seeks to become all things to all men in order to present the gospel, the real danger of contextualization is that we compromise our personal holiness just to be accepted by those of the world, with little or no thought at all of how it hinders the gospel or diminishes our witness.

The truth is that we are more concerned about others accepting us than we are about them accepting Christ!

• THE WRONG APPLICATION OF CONTEXTUALIZATION INVITES US TO “BE LIKE THE WORLD TO BE ABLE TO SHARE CHRIST WITHOUT OFFENDING OTHERS.”

• BUT THE EVEN MORE COMMON BEHAVIOR IS TO BE LIKE THE WORLD SO WE CAN BE ACCEPTED BY THE WORLD.

  • Our jokes

  • Our gossip

  • Our treatment of others

  • Our prejudice

  • Our disdain for others

  • Our complaints

  • What compromises do you make as you bow at the altar of

Acceptance by others?

• James 4:4 you adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

In the present day world of snowflakes, we have been intimidated into believing that we should never offend anyone about anything.

However:

• The Gospel will Always be offensive because it starts with the sin of humanity, and our need to be forgiven by God who requires us to be Holy.

  • CONTEXTUALIZATION IS A THREAT TO HOLINESS WHEN WE SEEK TO FIT INTO THE WORLD MORE THAN WHEN WE SEEK TO BE HOLY.

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PRACTICE HOLINESS

What does God expect of me in every circumstance or situation?

HOLINESS DOES NOT CHANGE REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCE OR THE SITUATION

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Deut 10:12 Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with your heart and with all your soul,

THE CIRCUMSTANCES NOR THE SITUATION DETERMINE YOUR BEHAVIOR

1 Peter 1:15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy ourselves also in all your behavior:

DECIDE TO BE HOLY FIRST, THEN FOLLOW THE SPIRIT’S LEAD IN KNOWING HOW TO CONNECT WITH OTHERS AND COMMUNICATE THE GOSPEL.

IT IS NEVER EFFECTIVE TO COMPROMISE OUR FAITH IN ORDER TO SHARE OUR FAITH.

It is never appropriate to join the sinner in their sin to tell them how they need forgiveness from their sin.

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