There’s a great lie floating around our culture.
That some things are secular and other things are sacred. It’s perpetuated by church-going and God-rejecting folks alike. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Psalm 24:1 tells us the earth is the Lord’s along with everything and everyone in it. God’s a big God. He doesn’t look at his creation and see a slice that he doesn’t control. Neither should we. Yet Christians do this all the time. Secular work. Secular music. Secular films. Secular schools. Blah, blah, blah.
And culture lets them. It keeps them out of their hair.
But it’s all a lie. Everything is sacred.
This world is full of sin. Things aren’t as they should be. Yet Jesus stepped right into the mess.
I sin a lot. I am not as I should be. Yet Jesus stepped into my mess too.
Thank God Jesus didn’t act like many Christians. He didn’t see me as secular and avoid me.
He loves me, redeemed me, and is changing me.
What would happen if we started seeing everything as God’s? Whether it was intended for him or not. Culture. Work. Politics. Food. Places.The internets. Everyday things. Everyday people. It’s all his.
Every story is about him. Every song longs for him. Every philosophy is searching for him.
Look for it. hen you learn to see God in all things, even ungodly things, it will rock your world. Because you begin to get a glimpse of the hugeness of God. That he’s bigger, better, and more sovereign than you can imagine. He’s working through things many Christians would not approve of. He even works through the messiest of people.
People like us.
Stop splitting your life into slices. By what you think is God’s and what’s not. The truth is this: If you’re a follower of Jesus, God gets the whole pie of your life. Not just a slice. You are free to be whole. You don’t have to pretend to be any more or less than you really are.
Stop believing the secular/sacred divide lie. Stop living it too.
You’ve got better things to do.
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Hello friend. Glad you stopped by.
My name is Jason Salamun and I created this space for two reasons:
- To help folks live and tell better stories.
- To serve as a playground to share what I'm learning about the art and craft of storytelling.
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I wholeheartedly agree but at the same time, once we come to the realization that there is sin in this world, we have to separate ourselves from it lest we get drawn back in. We are told to separate ourselves. Draw near to God and He will draw near to us; flee from the devil. The thing about secular music, halloween, etc being secular is that they do nothing to worship or honor God. And we must set the example as we honor the King of Kings. That’s not to say we should avoid these things because if we are to spread the Gospel we are going to be exposed to them. We must get in the midst of them because that is where the need exists…it doesn’t exist in the church, although there are a lot of lost people attending.
No the problem exists when we take God’s grace and sin more because we have His Grace. Paul addressed this very well and many think that because of His Grace we can live as we like and His grace is more than sufficient. His grace is more than sufficient but not when we willingly sin – choosing the carnal worldly things instead of keeping the vessel that Christ died for holy.
Yes God is in this world but right now, Satan has the lease on it and the owner, God, has not called the lease to be null and void just yet. It is coming but we must remember we are a royal priesthood, and a stranger in this land. Just because we live here doesn’t mean we act as the world acts. The lost has to have a role model if you will in us as we show them the example of Christ. We we taint that picture of a gracious, loving and yet Holy Savior, then we offer them nothing more than a comprable religion to that of the rest of the world. Jesus Himself said, Does light have anything in common with darkness? Does God have anything in common with Satan? This goes to show that there is a separation and we have to recognize it and expose it in a loving and kind way, without being judgemental or condeming.
We should never be so spiritually minded though that we are of no earthly good. But we cannot blur the lines either. James 1: 2-8 is vital for those that don’t seem to understand that we must not be tossed about like the waves on the ocean and if we can’t seem to figure it out, then we need to get wisdom.
Sincerly,
J.R.Smith
PowerLife Ministries
Thanks for your comment J.R. We actually agree on several things and we have some misadventures in missing the point.
You brought up many things and I’m not going to reply to everything. But I’ll reply to what’s pertinent to this post.
I’m not going to try to change you mind, only to clarify mine.
I believe followers of Jesus are indeed pilgrims in a foreign land. Our citizenship is the Kingdom of God. However, we are also sent on a mission by the King. To bring light into darkness. I strongly believe this world is loved by God and that he reigns over it, in it, and through it, despite it’s fallen state. I DO NOT believe Satan owns it. He is a mere pet God has on a leash. God allows him to exist for reasons only known to himself yet we trust it’s ultimately for God’s glory. Ironically, we’re celebrating Easter which marks when Jesus defeated Satan, sin, and death.
The world belongs to Jesus.
He stepped into our messy world (see the Gospels). Likewise, Paul stepped into messy places (Acts 17). God uses unlikely people and evil acts for his glory (see The Bible). That’s why he’s God.
I believe in a big sovereign God who works in all things- even “secular.” That was the point of this post. No where did I say it’s okay to sin on account of grace. I believe we’re saved by the grace of God and that he gives us a new heart, new desires. We have freedom to do what we want provided we’re loving God and people.
The bottom line is this: It’s about what’s God’s. I have a high view of God. A God who’s always in control. Who never says oops. A God who’s already won. A God who sees this world, 100% of it, and says, “It’s all mine.” God does not do evil but I take comfort knowing it’s all under him and not beyond his control (Gen. 50:20). Once we start to believe that, it will change how we see everything. Suddenly, things like secular this or that seem silly because God is good and great.
Thank you, Jason.
[...] Salamun has a fantastic post on his blog about the Sacred and Secular Divide that many people still subscribe to [...]
Thanks Jason – I have posted about this on my own blog and pointed folk to here to have a read! Shalom!
I LOVE this: “Stop splitting your life into slices. By what you think is God’s and what’s not. The truth is this: If you’re a follower of Jesus, God gets the whole pie of your life. Not just a slice.” This is something I am very passionate about right now. Keep spreading this truth!
Food for thought: Can there be a sacred if there is not a secular in which to seperate said sacred above said secular? If so how would you define something sacred with out reffering to “God”? Because although it would seem that each “religion” across the globe acknowledges an ultimate reality, this simply could be explained by the multitude of philosophical trends throughout specific cultures and eventually throughout history. Keeping in mind very few religions, includding christianity, can be defined as religious in the westernized use of the term