Christ has called His church to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). “Into all the world” includes culture. Culture is language, music, food, architecture, politics, morality, and religion. In fact, culture is the habitation of the gods. Music, architecture, and politics reflect the gods of any given culture.
Western societies of late have tried to separate religion from politics. This so-called separation produces, in theory, a secular atheist-state; but in practice a deified-state. It seems that human civilization prefers its idols.
Engaged in the mission of Christ, Paul found himself in the midst of the idols of the ancient Greco-Roman culture.
Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him (Acts 17:16-18).
Likely, it was his provoked spirit that inspired Paul to write,
Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them (Romans 1:22-24).
Throughout the Scriptures there is a symbiotic relationship between sexual immorality and idolatry (Colossians 3:5). Humanity, both ancient and contemporary, prefers the darkness of idolatry over the light of Christ (John 1:9-11). Even in the atheist-state the gods have their place. The gods inform politics and politics reflects the character of the gods. The prominent gods of our culture are Eros and Mammon, that is, sex and money. Eros proclaims that the epitome of human liberty is the freedom of sexual expression. This is translated into abortion rights, same-sex marriage, and polygamy. Eros licenses fornication, adultery, and homosexuality. Mammon proclaims that the epitome of human liberty is the accumulation of wealth. This is translated into pervasive human poverty, slavery, and the exploitation of creation. Mammon licenses envy, greed, and civil strife. Often, when Mammon and Eros prevail society witnesses the advent of Mars – the god of war.
Into this darkness, the Light breaks forth (Isaiah 9:2). Jesus Christ is the Light of the world (John 8:12). The brightness of His advent blinds the idols and displaces their shadows. Eros crumbles, Mammon deflates, and Mars is conquered by the Prince of Peace. His Light gives life to all who believe in Him (John 1:4, 12).
The greatest form of idolatry is self-deification which is expressed in self-love, self-worship and self-righteousness. To those who believe, Jesus says, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). Paul declared, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20). When we share the cross of Christ, the greatest form of idolatry perishes. The passions of human sinfulness die. From the death of sinful passions, the Spirit of Christ raises the believer to a new life of divine love. This divine love is expressed in the mystery of the self-giving covenant of marriage between man and woman (Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5:22-33) and in the generous liberality of the children of Light (Matthew 25:34-40; Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35; 2 Corinthians 8:1-4).
Paul declared, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). As believers sojourn in this present age we will continue to encounter temples and altars erected to the gods of Mammon and Eros, and may others. A culture in which the freedom of sexual expression is the epitome of human meaning will never understand Christ’s call to self-denial. A culture that exalts the accumulation of wealth over generosity will never understand Christ’s command to “sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor” (Luke 18:22). A culture that worships before the idols of money and/or sex refuses to acknowledge the Lordship of Christ.
Like Paul, we may be provoked in our spirits. Like Paul, we must be faithful ambassadors of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-21) walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and clothed in the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17). In Athens and Rome of the ancient world the gospel was the power of God for salvation. In Washington and London, Nairobi and Beijing, Istanbul and Delhi, the gospel remains the power of God for salvation. Christians should never be ashamed, but go boldly into all the world!
