We all view the world around us through a prism that colors or distorts what we see. Our view is influenced by our values and our culture. These two influences are always battling one another because the world around us is constantly changing and challenging our values and beliefs.

We say our beliefs are constant and unchanging. But are they? As the world and society change around us, does our culture change the relevance of our values and beliefs?

It has been said that we live in a postmodern world. What does that mean? What are the signs of the times? Where is our culture leading us?

A good definition of postmodernity comes from the book, Postmodern Times: A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture by Gene Edward Veith. He wrote that according to postmodern thinking, "Man cannot know anything absolutely. We have only limited knowledge. What we call 'reality' or 'truth' is only an individual or community interpretation of what exists. Each interpretation can be just as good as another although conflicting because each interpretation satisfies the felt needs of that person or community. Thus, man constructs truth rather than discovers it, and there is no objective good or evil."

How did we get to this postmodern culture?

History of Cultural Change

Cultures come and go. However, the thinking in a particular culture affects the next culture and the way people think. Let's take a look at the recent cultures that affect the way we think today in the 21st century.

Most sociologists agree that the last few cultural eras of the Western world have affected our current thinking.

For example, the Renaissance (1300s-1600s) gave us thinking that challenged the medieval ideas of Christian piety, classical rationalism and folk-paganism. There was a rediscovery and reassertion of Greek culture. Art, education, religious ideas and social norms were developed during the Renaissance.

Near the end of this period the Reformation also rediscovered and reasserted the Bible, and "purified" forms and Puritanism became popular, especially in the New World. The Bible was printed and made available to many for the first time.

When the Enlightenment (1700s-1800s) came along, science progressed dramatically and the age was marked by reason, scientific discovery and human autonomy. Christianity was viewed more and more as outdated superstition. Deism (God is no longer involved in creation) became popular. Cause and effect explained everything and Utilitarianism (where right and wrong are decided based on the consequences of actions) became the norm.

The next cultural age was Modernism (1900s-1960s). The modern age was affected by materialism (seeking after material "things"), the theory of evolution, Existentialism (there is no inherent meaning to life) and a strong "self view" (self creates the universe and laws). This era taught us there are absolute truths, but they are self-defined, religion is private and cannot be imposed on others, and moral values are created by oneself.

The present cultural age is Postmodernism or Postmodernity (1960s-present). However, our culture has been affected by elements of the previous three cultural eras. Postmodern culture influences our thinking by telling us life is chaotic, the world is complex, and reality varies from person to person. There are no absolutes. Historical objectivity has been replaced by political correctness. Our morals and choices should be based on "feelings." Environmental extremism and anti-humanism is widely accepted and style over substance is emphasized in our postmodern culture.

In his book Engaging the Soul of Youth Culture, Walter Mueller describes our current culture: "Our postmodern world is marked by a new level of moral relativism, the view that each person's own personal standard of right and wrong is legitimate, true and authoritative as any other. The end result is significant. Every individual becomes a moral nomad, wandering through life without any commonly held standard by which to measure ideas, opinions and choices. Without an underlying moral compass, everything becomes random and fragmented, with no connecting points. Instead of choosing to obey, one simply chooses."

The challenge for 21st-century Christians is to live successfully in our culture without becoming infected by the culture and its philosophies. This is not a new challenge for Christians.

The Scriptures tell us that God's Word is absolute truth. Christ said, "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth" (John 17:14-17).

God's Word does not change with the times and the cultural shifts. His laws and His promises are eternal and lasting truth. Knowing the eternal nature of God's law and truth can help us in these troubling times. Popular thinking in our culture is constantly attacking these absolutes. But this is nothing new for God's people.

New Testament Warnings

The New Testament writers were consistently warning first-century Christians about the negative and evil influences in their cultures. Obviously these warnings apply to us just as much as they did in the first century. The dangers lurking in our culture are just as serious, if not more so.

The apostle James warned, "Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world, makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think the Scripture says in vain, 'The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously'? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hearts you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded" (James 4:4-8).

The reference to "double-minded" in James' warning means "divided between God and the world" (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown's Commentary on the Whole Bible ) in the way we think. The "double-minded" person is at fault if he allows godly thinking to be distorted by the worldly culture around him.

Paul also warned the Corinthians to avoid the cultural arguments and philosophies that plagued Christians in the Greek world. He wrote, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…" (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

The challenge Paul leaves us is to bring our thoughts into alignment with God's thinking rather than the popular cultural thinking of the day.

We also read in 1 John, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:15-17).

Again, the first-century Church was bombarded with cultural influences that appealed to man's base nature, and the apostle John warned Christians to avoid the pitfall of loving the world and its culture above their love for God. The consistent challenge for Christians through the ages has been to limit the influences of the worldly culture around us while still living in that world.

Tools to Survive as a Christian in Our Postmodern Culture

The basic tools we have as Christians to combat the culture around us have not changed. Just like the absolute truth of God's Word and His promises, the tools of our warfare are the same as those the first-century Christians used.

One of those tools is awareness of the times in which we live. All the warnings the New Testament writers passed on to their readers about resisting the pressures of their culture reminded them of the negative culture around them.

Notice Paul's warning to the church at Ephesus: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:10-18).

The basic building blocks of our faith do not change. They remain the same: prayer, Bible study, fasting (our reminder to stay close to God), meditation (critical thinking about God's way and the culture in which we live) and fellowship (Christian communication).

John wrote the first-century Church to remind them, and us, of the core value to love God first above this world and its cultural pulls.

"And I heard another voice from heaven saying, 'Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues'" (Revelation 18:4).

Notice John warns that we must come out of the worldview of our culture and continue to maintain a consistent biblical view. We must view the culture around us with a biblical worldview, rather than through the distorted prism of a postmodern worldview. UN