I Ths. 5:21 ... "Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good."
While we live in this world, we must of necessity sustain relationships with other people and things about us. The variation in things and in human activities formulate different situations which confront the lives of Christians and require some kind of response. And then, from within the restless working of the human mind arise ideas and imaginations that are projected to other people as ideologies, theories, theologies and philosophies which often take possession of them. Perhaps the great majority of us hold the opinions we have about religion, politics, morality, the meaning and purpose of life, and many other fundamental issues because of the influence of some belief system we learned at home, in school, or from the mass media. Relatively few people expend the time and toil required to compare as many of the varied belief systems as possible to discover the one that seems to explain best the human condition and maximizes the meaning and quality of life. To neglect this careful examination is to experience life at the lowest level and put to least use the capacity to think with which we have been endowed. In fact, Socrates in his Apology went so far as to say that "the unexamined life is not worth living." The men who, by inspiration, wrote the Bible teach us to put the things in our world to a test to determine their value, durability, and impact upon our welfare physically, mentally, and spiritually. The text quoted above is only one of many that urge this important task.
The chameleon, a small reptile found near creeks and ponds, has the ability to change its color to blend into the surroundings in order not to attract the attention of predators. For them this is a valuable survival skill. Many people are like chameleons when they are confronted by the various situations in life surrounding them. They readily adapt to its complexion, adjusting without discernment to whatever prevails. They easily blend with the masses in possessing the same faddish products, in wearing the same style of clothing, and in grooming themselves to look like others. They learn to speak the same jargon, pursue the same entertainment, and follow the herd to the same centers of attraction. Without hesitation or resistance they yield their thinking to the popular, prevailing construction of thought about what life is, what it means, and what purpose it has. The ultimate impact thereof upon society as a whole, or upon oneself, never seems to be a concern. If it is in vogue right now, to adopt it and become a part of it, is the only thing that matters. Least of all is any consideration given to ultimate reality and to the sovereignty of God over the world.
Christians, however, must not let themselves become chameleons with respect to the world, its varied operations, or its human factor. We must keep ourselves aware that human activity is usually rebellious to God. We are told in Jas. 4:4 that "friendship with the world is hostility toward God" and that "whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." Human thought is too often controlled by pride, motivated by greed, and driven by lust. Therefore, as Paul counsels in I Ths. 4:21, we must always subject our thinking and resulting behavior to the test of righteousness, using the supreme standard of measure given us by God. All that fails the test we must reject, no matter how entrenched it is in common practice or how popular in society. Only that which passes the test, "that which is good," is acceptable for us to receive, incorporate into our behavior, and adopt into our pattern of thinking. If this displeases friends and acquaintances and even draws upon us the derision of society, then SO BE IT! We are required, as citizens of the Kingdom of God. to "obey God rather than men," (Acts 5:29); and in II Cor. 6:17 we are told to "come out from their midst and be separate." Why should we be concerned to please the mass of unregenerate, worldly people when they can do nothing for us when we come before God in the Final Judgment? (see II Cor. 5:10).
