The Lines Of The Culture

There are lines everywhere, yard lines on football fields and all sports have out-0f-bound lines. There are property lines and state lines. Some vehicles have lines that show up on the screen when backing up. If that red line is crossed something behind you may be hit. There is a saying, “Don’t cross that line.”

In a recent sermon a pastor asked the question, “ Are we drawing the same lines as God?” in reference to our culture. Where does one draw the line between morality and immorality? Between biblical truth and apostasy? Between good and evil, or what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior in relationships?

There are boundaries in relationships. There are defining characteristics that make us who we are and have a bearing upon how happy we are as individuals. We have moral standards and want to be treated with respect. When other people want us to be someone other than who we really are or to decrease our level of happiness, they are up against our boundary lines. If others want us to compromise our moral or religious beliefs, they are testing our boundary. In each of these cases, we have a choice. We can allow people to violate our boundary lines, or we can say “No.”

The most important boundaries or lines are those that are spiritual and cultural. There is much relativism, but God ‘s truth is absolute without compromise. In scripture God uses a plum line as a symbol of his righteousness, justice, and holiness. A plum line is a string with a weight on the bottom to make sure that something is 100% vertical. Isaiah 28:17 says, “I will make justice the line and righteousness the plum line.”  Picture in your mind, a plum line hanging from the throne of God with the words, “righteousness, justice, and holiness” written on it. At the bottom is the world, slanted and fallen into moral and spiritual decay, a big separation from the vertical line of righteousness, justice and holiness and the denial of God’s truth.

When Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden were told they could partake of anything except from the tree of good and evil, God drew a line. They crossed that line and sin came into the world.

Here are some other examples:

• The Ten Commandments
• Do not forsake the assembly of yourselves (Hebrews 10:25). This is in reference to belonging to a church congregation or small group ministry.
• Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14), which can apply to business partnerships or marriage.
• Do not be conformed to the world (Romans 12:2).
• Do not give the devil an opportunity(Ephesians 4:27).
  

There are many other “do nots” in scripture.

This is not meant to be legalistic, but negative consequences can result if we cross the line in any of these cases. For a Christian, it could mean a loss of fellowship with God and a loss of joy and peace. They are meant to be for our good, and to live a life as God intended.

There is, however, a line that everyone should cross. There is an invisible line between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light, which can only be crossed through the blood of Christ, by accepting Jesus as your personal savior.

Which side of the line are you on?