Sacred or Secular?

It is a question as old as people. Where is the division between what is secular and what is sacred? Is there a difference? If something, someone or some activity is not devoted wholly to God is it somehow not holy at all?

Here is my answer: Everything is holy. Everything is sacred. God is the creator of all that is and therefore, all that is is holy. Before you get too worked up, I believe that there are limits, but only because of our sin. You see, the creation of God has been corrupted because of our willingness to take all that is good and change it. We have screwed everything up.

Let's just consider the world of the arts for a moment. First of all, there is music. Music was invented by God so that we could have a way to praise him using all of our faculties, mental, physical, emotional and spiritual. I believe that this means that the lyrics to our songs do not have to be explicitly Christian or even religious, but that all music should and can glorify God. We run into difficulty when we change our music so that it does not glorify God, but it defies him. Our music is sacred until it becomes alien to God, his nature and his purposes.

Drama, film and television all work the same way. It is holy until it violates the nature and purpose of God.

In fact, this same criteria can be used for nearly every situation in your life. Should you attend that party? Yes, as long is the party, or your participation in it, do not violate the purpose and nature of God. Can you eat in a tavern? Yes, if you do not defy God in doing so. Can you associate with people who are not Christian, not Godly and not at all holy? Again, does it glorify God.

One more note of caution. Although there is relatively little that is prohibited in this way of thinking, all of these activities should be considered in realistic terms. Can you associate with ungodly people? Yes. Could those persons cause you to compromise your faith? Definitely. Always remember that this is not a license to do whatever you want. It ought to be considered in two ways.

• It is the beginning of reclaiming the world for the glory of God. It is time that we stopped allowing the persistent violation of all that God has made. Enjoy the arts. Enjoy the world. Revel in nature. Feel the presence of God in fellowship with all mankind.
• This is also the start of a revolution calling all persons to faith in Christ. The prechurched, ungodly, non-religious, secular people in your life need a godly influence. Do not be afraid of the world. Get into it and change it.