Man builds up a pretty schedule of ideals—and life knocks it flatter than a pancake.  When I’m old and shot and look back down the crooked trail I hacked out, I think I’ll be kind of sad at the fine thoughts I threw overboard.  But I think I’ll also hope to hear somebody in the hereafter say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’”
              –Ernest Haycox  (Whispering Range)

    “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!”
              –Romans 6:15 (NKJV)
——————————-
This week I have given a brief overview of How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World.  Life is not easy, but once we have determined that we will stand no matter the difficulty, the issue, the perplexity, the foolishness, or the persecution we can go forward much easier and have within our hearts the peace that passes understanding.  In the midst of the cancel culture we have a firm foundation–a trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word.
    To end the week I want to let us calm ourselves from politics, the religious lies, the woke stupidity and relax in the assurance that God has everything under control.  I want to give you what I call the Great Certainties.  The main idea of each comes from Lloyd-Jones.

         1)  “We know we are of God!”
                –Christian are people who are certain.  The lies of the devil cannot change that fact.  We know, that we know, that we know we are of God.  Nothing, no one, can take that certainty from us.
         2)  “We know the world lies in wickedness.”
                –This world is under the powerful of the evil one.  This will be discussed more thoroughly later, but understand that this world is evil and full of deceit.
         3)  The world may change on the surface, but it is always under control of evil and sin; it will always be the world and will never get better.  People who believe the world will become better are living under an illusion no matter who is President.
         4)  “The evil in the world cannot be taken out; it is to be destroyed; there is to be an ultimate climax and there will be a terrible end.”  Woe unto the inhabitants of the world until the Millennial Reign of Jesus.  There may be revivals until the Rapture, but the world will continue to deteriorate.

    I want to leave you the words of this grand hymn of comfort, written by Louisa M. R. Stead, for you to relax in, rest in, take comfort in as you go back over and contemplate the introduction to How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World.  

         ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus
         Just to take Him at His word;
         Just to rest upon His promise;
         Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord.”

         O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
         Just to trust His cleansing blood;
         Just in simple faith to plunge me
         ‘Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

         Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus
         Just from sin and self to cease;
         Just from Jesus simply taking
         Life and rest, and joy and peace.

         I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
         Precious Jesus, Saviour, Friend;
         And I know that Thou art with me,
         Wilt be with me to the end.

                  Jesus, Jesus how I trust Him!
                  How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er!
                  Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
                  O for grace to trust Him more!

Yes, I’m so glad I learned to trust the Lord.  He is precious, He is Savior, He is Friend…  I have a Comforter to guide, keep, and help me along the way.  But, oh! I need to learn to trust Him more!

The training of the range man will not let him sleep beyond dawn; and his vitality springs freshly up after a few short hours of rest, no matter how much physical punishment has gone before.  This is his birthright, and never does he lose it until he forsakes the queer combination of sweaty drudgery and wild freedom of cattle land and tries another trade.”
              –Ernest Haycox  (Whispering Range)

    “And the spies questioned Him, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You are not partial to anyone, but You teach the way of God on the basis of truth.'”
              –Luke 20:21 (NASB)
———————-
In these lessons on how to live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World, there are four major themes I want to look at.  With the help of D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones and others I hope to help us have a better perspective on how to live.  Look at the questions that confront the believer in the day in which we live.

    1)  What is possible to the believer?
    2)  How he is to face it?
    3)  How he is to stand up to it?
    4)  What must he do?
    5)  What is his relationship to this world?

    “Life outside God is not life, it is existence!” according to D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.  People exist, they think they are going somewhere, or they seek to go somewhere, but in reality all they are doing is existing in a particular point in time.  Without Christ, they are literally “dead men walking” waiting to become a clod of earth again.  Hope is only in what man can do, and that is fruitless.  Look at what a little virus did to the confidence of man’s ability–fear ran rampant, confusion was the norm, hope had vanished for the only hope the unbeliever has is in man.
    This is a world of panic, difficulty, distress, perplexity, stress, uncertainty, what is going to happen next is in the minds of all.  Man changes truth to fit his situation and when it doesn’t work or no longer fits, he changes it again.  Truth is relative, yet it is in these times the believer “knows whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” (2 Timothy 1:12, NKJV)  Trust in God’s Word; it is there to steady us in troublesome times, through a depraved culture and society but presenting us with the truth.

         “It [Bible] is never out there just to soothe and comfort us for the time being.  No, its message always is that there are certain principles, and that if we only lay a firm hold upon them and grasp them, if only we base our life upon them and plan the whole of our existence in terms of them, then we can never really go wrong.”
                   –D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

    What is our first obligation or duty to not panic?  TRUST!  It is imperative that we know who God is.  It is vital–I can’t emphasize this enough–that we know the truth of God’s Word; take a firm hold of the doctrines presented.

         “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.”
                   –2 Timothy 1:13 (NKJV)

         “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.”
                   –Hebrews 2:1 (NKJV)

Then after Trusting, we must pray.  However, we must know the truth before we can pray properly.  Do not pray something that is contrary to God’s Word.  Lloyd-Jones states, “Prayer is sometimes an excuse for not thinking, an excuse for avoiding a problem or situation.”  Too often prayer is not specific and the reason why is that we do not know the truth of God’s Word.  We must always take firm hold of the truth so that we know what we are doing when we pray.  “Duty is first to face the truth, to face the doctrine and to apply it.” (Lloyd-Jones)  Remember, the purpose of God’s Word is not to simply ease the situation, but to look at the truth.  God may forsake our comfort for our character.

A man is able to struggle with his heart and mind only about so long, then there comes a time when all logic collapses and he falls back upon the instincts which are strongest in him.”
              –Ernest Haycox (Wipe Out the Brierlys)

    “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you have peace.  In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world.”
              –John 16:33 (NASB)
———————–
         “We do not live enchanted lives; we are all here in the flux of history, and the great question is, what are we to do; what is the difference between us; how are we to adjust ourselves; what is to be our attitude towards current events and affairs; what is our duty with respect to life in this world, and how are we to conduct and comport ourselves?”
                   –D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

    In this crazy and foolish world how are we to conduct ourselves as Christians?  The trumpet has yet to sound and Jesus said that we must occupy until He comes.  The Key:  God’s Word.  We are to live by God’s Word.  We are to be according to what the Word of God says.

         “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” –Psalm 119:11 (NKJV)

         “I have treasured Your word in my heart, So that I may not sin against You.”  –Psalm 119:11 (NASB)

We must have God’s Word in our heart so that we can obey in these evil times.  I fear that far too many Christians do not “treasure” God’s Word, that it is just something to carry around, or set on the table, or once in while read a favorite verse.  We must have the whole counsel of God so that we do not sin.
    There can be no excuse saying that it’s just too hard to live in a pagan world.  There are too many temptations, too many pressures and stresses.  That is no excuse, we are to live and obey, or as the great hymn says, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” (John H. Sammis)  Let me go ahead and share the first verse of that grand song:

         “When we walk with the Lord in the light of His word,
          What a glory He sheds on our way!
          While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
          And with all who will trust and obey.”

    I want to take you to the pagan empire of the Chaldeans and the city of Babylon.  Judah had been conquered by the Chaldeans and Daniel, along with several other young people had been in the process of preparing themselves to be leaders, and teachers in Judah, but now were sent as captives, slaves, to live in a new culture.  Daniel “purposed, determined, resolved, set his mind” that he would not defile himself.  (Daniel 1:8)  Now this was in regard to the king’s table, but it went much deeper than that as we will find in the rest of Daniel.  In a pagan, apostate, and foolish world we must “purpose, determine, resolve, and set our mind” that we will not defile ourselves.
    It is our duty to live as a testimony in this type of culture.  We are to be salt and light in the midst of evil and darkness.  We are here, in this time and place, to live according to the Gospel.  We are to let our lights shine, we are to be “living letters” and “Christ’s ambassadors” to a sin-sick world.  

         “And as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every kind of literature and expertise; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams.”
                   –Daniel 1:17 (NASB)

Notice, they did not defile themselves, however they did continue to learn.  It is important to realize and understand that a person can discern truth and not turn to falsehoods even when it seems that all around are lies (fake news) a “woke” society.  In the midst of the falsehoods we are to continue to prepare ourselves.  One never knows when God may tap them on the shoulder for some special duty so we must be prepared.  Daniel continued to word and serve God in this pagan society.
    I might add that by doing so we leave a testimony.  Look at what happened to Nebuchadnezzar during the time of Daniel and the others.

          “Your God truly is a God of gods and a Lord of kings…” –Daniel 2:47
          “there is no other god who is able to save in this way”  –Daniel 3:29
          “the Most High God has done for me.” –Daniel 4:2
          “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just; and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.” –Daniel 4:37 (NASB)

Did Nebuchadnezzar become a believer?  Only eternity will reveal that to us, however, he definitely made strides in his knowledge of God thanks to the testimony of those who lived according to God’s Word in this pagan culture.

The world is a brutal thing.  Full of scoundrels and made up of torment.  There is a curse upon it, made by men.  The race of man is small.  We’re nothing better than ticks scattered in the sage.  Maybe we started clean but now we’re livin’ in filth made by ourselves and we breed upon our own ignorance and vice, the smell which rises to heaven.”
              –Ernest Haycox  (The Wild Bunch)

    “I will pour out My indignation on you; I will blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and I will hand you over to brutal men, craftsmen of destruction.”
              –Ezekiel 21:31 (NASB)
————————–
Several years ago I developed a study/course which I titled, “How to Live in a Pagan and Apostate World.”  I’ve decided to review and upgrade it some and along the way in doing so I will be sharing with you.  I have not forgotten the Psalms, but in my current state I do not have my study books with me.  
    The first thing I am going to do is change the title:  “How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World.”  The New Testament world was the world in which the Church was born.  It was a pagan world from Augustus and the birth of Christ through several evil and immoral emperors:  Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian.  The New Testament was written under the rule of these individuals and then carried on into the next century by the early church fathers.  Eventually the Church grew and prospered (often to its detriment) and soon one-third of the Roman Empire would be Christian.
    One of the main purposes of this study is to recognize that the Church, the true Church, the body of believers, will survive in any type of culture.  Another purpose is to heed the warning of Solomon:

         “Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.”
                   –Proverbs 4:23(NASB)

Holman translates it this way:

         “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.”

Our heart, our soul must be guarded and protected at all cost.  Our life depends upon it, not only here on earth but for eternity.  In this evil world we must be diligent in protecting ourselves and our loved ones.  The world and its evil leader is out to destroy anyone who is a Christian, and to wreck havoc upon the Church of God.

    The New Testament was written in the pagan atmosphere of Rome.  The Church grew despite this influence and persecution.  It would be a few years before apostasy started to affect the church.  Look at a few simple terms and their meanings.

         pagan–professing no religion, a heathen,
         heathen–one who adheres to a religion that does not acknowledge the God of Judaism or Christianity; one who is regarded as irreligious, uncivilized, or unenlightened,
         apostasy–“defection, departure, revolt, rebellion” from previously held religious beliefs.  It is defined as “a willful falling away,” but at times it can be a subtle accepting of false teaching,
         fool–someone who lacks judgment or good sense, one who makes silly, stupid mistakes.  He does his own thing without thinking of the consequences.

Our Christian foundation is bombarded today by multiculturalism, cancel culture which includes woke, pluralism, globalism, and postmodernism just to name a few.  Truth has become subjective and relative.
    I am adding “Foolish” because that is exactly what is happening.  One cannot escape the foolishness in society if the news is watched for any length of time.

         “Claiming to be wise, they became fools.” — Romans 1:22 (NASB)
         “Claiming to be wise, they became fools [professing to be smart, they made simpletons of themselves].”  –Romans 1:22(AMPLIFIED)
         “Behind a facade of ‘wisdom’ they became just fools.” — Romans 1:22 (Phillips)

Look at the news and it will be clear to see that the world is clearly pagan, apostate, and foolish.  Only a fool could say that a person can choose their gender and that goes along with their belief in relative truth.  
    I urge you not to be swayed by the trends around you.  Guard the truth!  Hold it dear to your heart!  Three lessons to remember:  do not be compromising, curious, or complacent as you live in this world.