Sacred vs. the Secular
In the mid part of the last century a common maxim for the Christian was, “There is no difference between the sacred and the secular.” Christians were encouraged to make everything sacred. Since everything was to be done to the glory of God, all things became sacred, whether our jobs, our recreation, our education - any and everything, it was said, if done to the glory of God became sacred. This exhortation came in order to correct the perception that on Sunday one would not only put on a Sunday suit, one would also put on a Sunday persona. Many times, you would have Christians who would act sanctimonious on Sunday, but then on Monday would turn back into being no different from the world around them. They may have acted like the salt of the earth on Sunday, but on Monday, they would lose all savor. They would become like chameleons, becoming the same as their surroundings. This, of course, was not right.
The problem, however, is half a century later, this maxim has not solved the problem. Things are worse today than every before. Instead of Christians being the same on “Mondays” as they were on “Sundays“, they have become on “Sunday” what they were on “Mondays“. Instead of having the secular become sacred, the sacred has become secular! The same type of Christians that used to put on put on their Sunday best, now do not do so, either literally, or figuratively. At least, I suppose, they are not being hypocritical as some were fifty years ago. But this type of Christian has lost something those Christians of fifty years ago still possessed, even in their hypocrisy - the virtue of respect.
Christians now come into the presence of the King dressed in cut offs and tank tops. People show more respect in their dress before earthly kings, than in the presence of the King of Kings. Of course, the maxim you always hear to justify such conduct, is that, “The Lord looks on the inside, not the outside.” The problem, however, is that in some cases, the inside is just as bad as the outside - carnal inward attitudes prevail showing no resemblance to biblical thinking or spiritual thought.
A Christian must remember that respect is very important. One cannot maintain a spiritual life without maintaining the virtue of respect. The Lord was always respectful in all that He did. All through the Bible, we are told to be respectful. The word in Scripture for respect is honour.
Leviticus 19:32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD
Malachi 1:6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
John 5:23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Romans 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Ephesians 6:2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise.
1 Peter 2:17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king
Why is respect or honour so important to God? - Because honour is a reflection of the nature of God. Honour is the very attribute of the Divine Being. The Father has always honored the Son, and the Son has always honored the Father (Jn. 8:49, 54). It is an expression of the eternal love and communion between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Honour is important because honour results in obedience, and, conversely, dishonour or disrespect will always result in disobedience or rebellion.
Numbers 27:20 And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.
When the world propagates and extols disrespect, (e.g. as is seen in the arts, politics, or literature) they are following the example not of the Blessed Trinity, but the example the enemy of God, the god of this world - Satan. All disrespect flows from the first introduction of disrespect into this universe - the fall of Satan. Satan fell, because he became proud and did not show respect to God, but thought himself equal or perhaps even greater, than God (Isa.14:12-14). His disrespect flowed from his pride, and his disobedience flowed from his disrespect, and when a Christian displays disrespect, he is following the example of that roaring lion, rather than the example of our dear Saviour - the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
However, it should be noted, those from the 60’s and 70’s were right on one issue - it is important to the Lord what is in the inside. We should worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. We should not despise someone who comes into our assembly because of outward clothing (Jam 2: 1-4). That would be a great sin! John the Baptist was in camel hair. Even our Lord was not arrayed in expensive robes. Would we despise them? The key is not the clothing itself, but the attitude behind the clothing.
For example, I am sure if the person in the parable of the wedding feast, in Matthew 22:11-12, had the right inner attitude and explained to the king that he felt bad for not wearing a wedding garment - if he explained that he did not mean to be disrespectful, but that he was poor and had no other garments, the king would have been very merciful, and perhaps would have even bought him a new garment. However, as you know, such was not the case. The implication was that the person, indeed, could have donned a wedding garment, but chose not to either through nonchalance or outright disrespect and disregard, and as such, the person was chastised by the king. Indeed, it is important to the Lord what is in our hearts, but, as is so often the case, many do not take the time to examine the motives of their hearts and so allow outward actions to prevail that are in reality based upon unspiritual, inward attitudes.
The reason such a drastic change occurred in our thinking (in regard to our dress when we come together in church) is because of the rebellious attitudes of the 60’s and 70’s that overflowed into the churches of Christ. As one who lived through that period, I can tell you -the secular rebellion of the world spread into the Church in sacred garb. The generation gap of the world became the generation gap of the church. It was done in protest to a “perceived” sanctimonious older generation who came in their Sunday best, but who lived the carnal life the rest of the week. The younger generation could see through the hypocrisy, and as such acted in such a way to make a “fly in your face” protest, and so began to come in cut-offs and t-shirts, rather than in suits and ties like the older generation.
The question that must be asked, however, was such an action anymore spiritual that the action they were protesting. The answer is no! They were doing no better than those of the older generation they were protesting. The Lord will never utilize a rebellious, disrespectful attitude to combat a hypocritical, sanctimonious attitude. To do so would be an impossibility, for it is not an aspect of God’s nature. The Father, Son, nor Holy Spirit have never been rebellious or disrespectful between themselves in their eternal communion, and so would never lead a generation of Christians to act in such a way. (It should be noted that in many cases this was a “perceived” hypocrisy. While there have always been such carnal Christians in every church of every age, I’m afraid the protest was more based on the influence of the world with its peer pressure that any overwhelming hypocrisy. There was a tremendous amount of spiritual work done by the previous generation. The reason this was perceived otherwise, I’m afraid, was because the younger generation of the 60’s and 70’s was following the world. It was the “in” thing to protest the older generation, and I’m afraid many young Christians were just carried away with the spirit of the world.)
Today, however, I should say, I do not believe people dress in such a nonchalant manner because of any rebellious attitude, but because it has become the acceptable thing to do. Perhaps, for some, it is simply because it is more comfortable.
So what is the answer to this and the deeper problem that lies behind it? First of all, I think the church should adopt a dress code. And that dress code is the Lord Jesus Christ. “But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and stop making provision for the flesh…” Rom. 13:14. 1 If Christians would deny themselves, their rights, their flesh, their own ideas and take up the cross of Christ, they would find themselves clothed in Jesus, and would find that they could hear the voice of the Spirit and dress accordingly, when coming into the presence of the King, not in rebellion, laziness, nonchalance, or in the high fashion of the world, but from “…the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit…” (I Pet. 3:4 NASB) Their outward life would be dictated, not by their surroundings like a chameleon, whether it be a Sunday best, or a Saturday morning worst, but by the indwelling Holy Sprit in their hearts. They would say, “Lord I want to do all things to please you” “I want to honour you in even in what I am wearing.” “Lord, is this clothing honoring to you as I come into your presence in church”. And , as fellow heirs of eternal life, we should respect the decision of such questioning heart and give liberty to each other before the Lord. I don’t think it necessary for all to wear a suit and tie, for how would that make one feel who did not own one. After all, in many parts of the world, it’s a luxury to even have an extra set of clothing. We must have respect and love for all our brethren.
Scripture does not dictate what we should wear outwardly when we come into our church meetings, except that we should dress appropriate for the occasion - according to the wherewithal of each individual person - and that, as we dress, we should be respectful, not nonchalant, or lazy in the thought we give, as to what we are going to put on, . (Matt.22:11; Malachi 1:6)
For instance, would we be nonchalant in our clothing if we were going to a funeral? Of course not! Why? - out of respect for the deceased one and the living relatives. So how much more should we dress with respect for Him who died for us on the cross and who is now living.
Another example in Scripture, which tells us this principle of outward dress is important, concerns the sisters. (and by principle, the brothers) Scripture specifically exhorts the women not to be nonchalant in the thought they give to their dress, but to dress modestly, not for the purpose of “drawing attention to themselves“; nor in the latest “high fashions” of the world, but as women professing godliness (I Tim 2:9-10). It is not enough for the sisters to say, “The Lord looks on the inside, not the outside.” Scripture tells them to be concerned for what is on the outside, because many times the outside is a manifestation of what is on the inside.
Let us remember, the Lord is more than capable in discipling his own children as to what they should wear. God forbid that we try to take His place as Master and dictate outer garb for the saints. However, we should all pay heed to what our Saviour has already told us in His Word, and realize that Scripture tells us the way we dress is linked to an inward attitude.
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Secondly, what of the question concerning the deeper problem behind this new way of thinking? One must realize that there are things that are secular in the Christian life, which can never be made sacred, nor were they ever intended to be (II Cor. 6:16-18). They are of the old creation, and nothing of the world is to be made sacred, but is to be accounted crucified (Gal. 6: 14).
For instance, one might hear a secular song, go to a secular school, or read a secular poem. They never become sacred. Nor are we commanded to make them sacred, but we are commanded to be a testimony of light and holiness in all that we say or do. Remember, in the end, all secular things will be burnt up. The Church, on the other hand, is sacred and will be glorified with Christ and, as such, should never be considered common or secular.
Paul gives us this principle when he states in I Cor. 11:22,
“What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.”
And,
“ Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy (sacred), which temple ye are.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 AV)
This is not some new principle. The saints in the Old Testament knew this same principle as is seen in Ezekiel 22:26 AV.
“Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.”
Paul believed the Church was sacred; that it was holy. It had a special sacredness that did not even extend to the homes. Why? Because, what he says may be allowable in homes, does not necessarily mean it is allowable in the church. The Corinthian believers had the liberty to have elaborate meals in their homes, and invite whomever they wish, but to do so in the church with no regard for all God’s children, was despising the church of God. It was not counting it holy or sacred.
We must understand, if the word “sacred” is used to identify things that must be respected and be accounted holy, then Paul certainly considered the Church sacred. It was accounted sacred because it was a new creation of God, in the same way, for instance, Scripture was considered sacred, because it was a new creation of God. (II Tim. 3:15 NASB)
This despising and not considering the church of God sacred, however, has, unfortunately, become commonplace in the modern evangelical world. As was said before, in their attempt to make the secular, sacred, they have made the sacred, secular.
It has become a common practice in many evangelical churches, especially the mega-churches, to turn the lobbies of their church buildings into market places for worldly companies like Starbucks, or McDonalds. Many Church auditoriums are now being transformed into “Christian” theater, and even in the Church’s worship, this secularization continues.
For example, going back again to the mid part of the last century, Christian music used to be known as “Sacred Music” - music that was set apart for the worship of God. Today, we do not have sacred music, but musical styles adopted from the world with the word “Christian” attached to front. We have “Christian” Rock, “Christian” hip-hop, “Christian” rap, and even “Christian” Goth! Whatever, the world has, we have. A recent Christian Music guide said it this way, “If you like these mainstream artists, listen to” (these Christian artists). Every conceivable dark, ungodly, morally bankrupt band you could think of was listed, and then it had its counterpart “good” Christian band or artist. Even on Christianity Today’s website, in their music section, they list Christian artists, but then also list the ungodly, unbelieving bands of the world in order to let the reader know that if you like these worldly bands you will like this Christian band. This faulty concept has also infiltrated all aspects of church life. We have everything from “Christian” Psychology to “Christian” Politics. We think we are making sacred the secular by putting the name “Christian” in front of it, but instead the secular is making the sacred like unto itself.
This thinking is not new. Seventeen hundred years ago, it was called “Christianizing the World”. In the fourth century, the Roman Empire adopted Christianity as the official religion of the Empire, and the church wed itself to the world and started Christianizing everything. The common practice of invoking a god for a particular problem was replaced with invoking a saint for a particular problem. The feast days of the world became the Christian Feast days of the church, and even the Basilica of the State became the “Christian” Basilica of the Church, and thus was born the concept of the cathedral.
The Church of the fourth century thought they were doing the will of God, they thought they were making the secular sacred - some protested- but their voices were drowned out and the Church plunged into worldliness and carnality. The same is happening today, and even the nomenclature demonstrates it.
We take something from the world, like rock music, wed it to the word Christian, and create this new entity - Christian Rock - that is a mixture of the world and the church. Why would we want to do such a thing? Why would we want to adopt worldly standards and names? Who can deny that much of the “rock n roll” spirit is filled with sin, drugs, and sensual attitudes? Even the world recognizes this. Even the ungodly “rock n roll” artist recognizes it, and has even boasted of it in various journalistic interviews. Why then would we want to take a word associated with darkness (whether it be rock, hip-hop, jazz, or rap) and join it with a word associated with light? The fact that Christians do this demonstrates their lack of spiritual discernment. (Some have now recognized this and no longer call it Christian Rock, but Contemporary Christian Music. The problem, however, is the nomenclature may have changed, but the spirit of the music is just the same)
Unfortunately, however, many do not understand this because much of the Contemporary Christian Music scene is still filled with much worldliness and pride. (Many Christians do not realize that many Christian music labels are no longer Christian, but are now owned by the ungodly corporations of the world!)
An example, which demonstrates this worldliness, is the annual Dove Awards. Christian artists claim to serve the Lord with their musical writing ability, and then receive an award for it! To show how things have changed, can you imagine Charles Wesley, Fanny Crosby, or John Newton accepting an award for their hymn-writing ministry. Or can you imagine the Apostle Paul coming on stage to receive an award for his ministry in the Roman Empire (having narrowly beaten out the Apostle Peter) in an annual “Apostle of the Year” award show?” Yet that is what is being done every year in Contemporary Christian Music scene under the auspices of the Dove Awards.
Scripture tells us, that we should not allow “carnal ministry” to exist in our churches, but should seek “spiritual ministry” (I Cor. 3 and chapters 11-14). Would the Apostle Paul’s ministry be considered spiritual if he allowed himself to be given an award in an annual “Apostle of the Year” award show? Of course not! So why do we close our eyes to Christian artists, who gladly compete in such shows and allow them a place of importance and responsibility in our worship and churches?
If a Christian artist did not have enough spiritual discernment to see the pride and worldliness of something as basic as an award show, how could such a one be trusted to have spiritual discernment in more important issues such as worship and ministry in the church. We should not allow such non-spiritual ministry to exist in our churches, let alone in our lives. We must pray that the quality of our ministry change from one of natural talent to one of spiritual maturity. Ministry must be based upon the Holy Spirit, not natural talent. (Let us never forget, though, that such Christian artists are our fellow believers in the Lord, and that we must ever love and pray for them, realizing that we have our own shortcomings. We must never blindly judge, but first take out the beam of our own eye, so we can see clearly to take out the mote in our brother’s eye)
Christianity is not supposed to Christianize the world - the old creation. The old creation came to an end in the cross of Christ. We are to be a new creation. If the Holy Spirit gives you a song, why not just call it Christian music, or Sacred music. And why again, let me ask, don‘t we do that? Because we have accepted the faulty maxim that we have to make the secular sacred. The Christian is not supposed to make the secular sacred, but turn away from it. (I John 2:15-16). He doesn’t need it. He is a new creation. All things done in the new creation in the power of the Spirit are already sacred. Everything that is truly of the new creation is sacred. We should not mix the new with the old. God will create all things new, even our music. All things we do should be not from the thoughts and ideas of the world, but from the working of God’s Spirit with our spirit. God is about creating a new creation, not a repairing of the old creation. We need to take to heart the warning of James “…whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” Jam. 4:4.
May we learn that the church is sacred in the eyes of the Lord, because it is graced with His presence. Let’s be cognizant of that in the way we dress, and by what we bring into our worship. What we bring into our meetings, whether it be music or anything else, we are bringing into the sacred circle of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Worship is a most sacred, reverent and holy occupation. Do we not realize that when the Holy Spirit leads us to sing a song in worship to the Father that the Lord Jesus is leading our worship as our High Priest? Don’t we realize that every Sunday we are in the presence of the Son who is leading our worship to His most holy Father?
"For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, "Therefore I will give praise to you among the Gentiles, and I will sing to your name” Rom. 15:8-9 NASB
"For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee." Heb. 2:11-12 KJV
If we really believe the Son is leading our worship as our High Priest, do we really think He wants to utilize rock, jazz or big band music in worship to the Father? Does the Father desire to hear His Son sing in such a manner, whether it is rock, hip-hop, or rap? Don’t we realize that what we will one day do in heaven, we should now be doing in spirit on earth?
May we ever be careful that our music is not tainted with the spirit of the world. And may we ever remember that the Church is most sacred in the eyes of our heavenly Father because it is ever filled with the beauties of our most wonderful Saviour. Let’s fill our hearts and minds with Him and not with secular things - that we mistakenly think - have been made sacred.
B.P.H.
1 Expanded Translation, Kenneth Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies, from the Greek New Testament, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI 1966, pg. 292 |
