Christians have always been a people devoted to the noble principles of God’s Word. As such they have been a principled people. Through their commitment to missions they’ve also tended to be a pragmatic people as well. So Christians have sought to balance two critical values: principles and pragmatism.
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Principled
One does not have to search far to see this. Here are three examples:

• You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. (Lev 19:2b)
• But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. ( 1 Pet 2:9)
• that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, (Phil 2:15)
• he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, (Col 1:22)
• Etc and etc!

Christians have always valued holiness, being lights and living a life above reproach.

Pragmatism
At the same time, because Jesus has given us a mission, we’ve been a pragmatic people. Here are a couple of examples:

• And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:18–20) [The pragmatism has come in fleshing out how best to accomplish this task of making disciples].
• I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. (1 Cor 9:22)
• Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. (Acts 16:3)

Yet in these two great values there is also a tension—how to be in the world (pragmatism) yet not of the world (principled) (c.f. Jn 15 and 17). In some instances, like Timothy’s pragmatic circumcision it is easy to see how morality was not compromised. In others, such as not allowing the KKK to use your church premises, it is easy to see how holiness cannot be compromised. What shall we do when these collide, that is, when we want to be “missional” and seek to reach the lost, but this runs the risk of reproach? Which value should come out on top?

Enter 1 Peter 4:4: With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you.

The New Testament era church did not engage in a host of activities, explicit or perceived, because it would compromise them on the subject of idolatry and holiness. Historian Nick Needham[1] said this of the early Church period:


[1] Nick Needham, 2000 Years of Christ’s Power, vol. 1: The Age of the Early Church Fathers. (Scotland: Christian Focus, 2016), 81–2. 

This is a helpful glimpse into early Christians, living in an ungodly age, who lived out 1 Peter 4:4. To not join in or even to not give the impression of joining in, is a vital value. Greater than missional pragmatism, but interesting still missional.

In contemporary post-Christian Canada there are many past practices, residue of cultural Christianity, that we’d do well to rethink (e.g. Halloween). Likewise, as the Church faces new realities there are areas we ought not to rush into for the sake of missional relevance until we’ve seriously thought them through.

Of the latter attending a same-sex wedding is a prime example. The value to be missionally pragmatic would say to attend for the sake of loving them and building relationships. The value of principle demands no (you can read more here), for while there are many acceptable ways to minister to our homosexual friends and neighbours, to attend a wedding (which celebrates) is to take part in celebrating something which God calls evil. While we wouldn’t necessarily become unholy by attending, the act of condoning (even by perception) would go against the command in 1 Pet 4 “do not join them.”

You see, sometimes to be principled, while not being pragmatic, does actually better serve the cause of the Gospel and our mission better. For when we are seen to be humbly different, even if they malign us, we will bear a greater witness that God will use more effectively for His glorious purposes:
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Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honourable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. (1 Pe 2:12).

A recent sermon preached on the neglected theme of beauty in Scripture.

Our world is obsessed with itself (yet “God opposes the proud,” Ja 4:6). Think of how vain we can be when we shamelessly draw attention to ourselves[1]:

• Look at what I’m wearing
• Look at what I’ve done
• Look at how I helped so and so
• Look at what I have
• Look at what they gave ME
• Look at what they did for ME
• And so on…

We love to make a spectacle of ourselves but this is detestable in God’s sight, it does not see ourselves truly in relation to God or to others. We must repent of this. It is only when we humble ourselves that God will exalt us in forgiveness and favour (Ja 4:6). This is why Jesus had so much to say about His followers pursuing self-modesty. We’re to be like Jesus who gave up the glory of heaven to serve others (Phil 2). Jesus was humble.
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Think of how Jesus commanded his followers to pray in secret (Mt 6:5–6), fast without flaunting it (Mt 6:16–18), give in secret (Lk 21:1) and take the less prestigious seats at gatherings (Lk 14:10). Listen to how Jesus described vanity in His own words on the subject of giving to the needy and how seriously he condemns it (Mt 6:1–4):

6 “Beware of practising your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

There is no place for vanity amongst Christ’s followers. We do not make a spectacle of self but live to give all glory to Christ. Let us not live empty lives but full lives that centre upon Him.


[1] It is not wrong to speak of oneself discretely, but what is our motive? That is always the most important question. We can appropriately share in natural conversation with others about our lives when we’re mutually interested in others and when what we share is in the pursuit of sharing wholesome truths (e.g. come see the birds at my feeder, I think you’ll really be interested vs. I’ve got a new feeder, come see how nice it is). 

Why do people pursue vanity? For some it is sheer pride, the desire to be God. For others it comes for competition's sake. Still others do it to meet some unmet need in their life (relational affirmation). On the latter, they ought to find affirmation through knowing the love of Christ through faith in Him, which of course is what all three ultimately need.