Hiding Among the Baggage

The challenge for believers is to keep Christ as the supreme love of their lives while enjoying the things the Lord has brought us: creation, people, hobbies, and everything else. There is nothing inherently evil with creation, relationships, hobbies, and things. But the Bible warns us in 1 John 2:15-17, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." The world here refers to the false philosophies, ideologies, values and religions that exist in opposition to God. The Christian must be forewarned so as to be forearmed. The principal means of deceit is the media. Godless notions pervade the atmosphere. They are assumed rather than argued. One receives a subtle impression that it is all obvious. The average person is no more aware of them than the fish is aware of the water in which it swims. Consider what the laugh track on situational comedies on TV does to you without realizing it. For example, "All in the Family" was the number one television series from 1971 through 1976, but it also inspired an avalanche of other situation comedies that dealt with controversial subjects. Archie Bunker was the main character. He was television's most famous bigot, crass and downright rude. The stories revolved around many controversial topics. The world used this show as a major instrument by which to attack Christianity. By Bunker's outrageous character, his ignorance was assumed for every topic he spoke about. When he attempted to speak Biblical truth, he would often get it wrong and he would be ridiculed for even believing in such notions. The laugh tracks confirmed that everyone else agreed!