Undoubtedly if a poll of all Christians were taken it would be a very small percentage, if any, who would disagree with the statement, “Christians are supposed to live IN the world, not OF the world”. And yet there is a striking paradox in the Western church today. Living in a consumer-driven society, it appears that the incorporation of consumerism into the church is one its leading problems. No longer possessing the influence to change society’s values more into conformance with God’s Word and ways, the church is allowing society’s values to change it from within.

This is especially true of those embracing the false Faith-Prosperity gospel which claims that it is God’s intention to make you materially rich in this present life, but it is not the only tie-in to consumerism coming into the church. It shows itself whenever someone says something along the lines, “And it should be as good as the world does it”. This is a recurring argument for having the best music, the best production values for a given church service, even having the best facilities and appearance to the community at large. It is the real-life application of being “envious of the arrogant” as a result of wanting to emulate “the prosperity of the wicked“.

In this verse is provided the biblical measuring stick by which we should earnestly measure all endeavors: “those who are pure in heart“. To understand what the Bible means whenever it uses the term “pure“, just substitute the phrase “unpolluted by sin”. God is good to those who sustain a heart unpolluted by sin. Now imagine a church who makes THIS the number one priority and you will begin to envision something which definitely does seek to do things “as good as the world does it”. I would even go so far as to offer that there is something fundamentally wrong with a church who does not work towards the goal of its members being rid of the pollutive effects of sin.

This is also a valuable lesson by which to measure our personal faithfulness. When our eyes are fixed on things other than those central to our relationship with Christ, the chances are much greater that our feet will stumble. This is especially true when we become more concerned for physical remedies at the expense of striving for spiritual perfection, which begins with the determination to rid ourselves of every pollutive effect of sin possible._††_†

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