No one is an island, as the saying goes. Try as we may, we cannot help but be impacted by the culture in which we live. Statistics have often shown that generally, Christians are living, by and large, in tune with the culture around them rather than the opposite. 

This is especially true when we consider the current pessimistic, cynical, post-modern culture of the US and the West. Approaching life with all of its pain and pleasure through such dark lenses breeds unhappiness and hopelessness. Is it any wonder why psychologists have noted that the disease of the modern era is depression? It is imperative that we recognize our times.  

As Christians, we are citizens of another society, a kingdom that is not of this world. This means that we are usually running counter to the culture around us in many ways. We must prepare ourselves for this. Tonight we will see that Christ and His Word foresaw this. God’s people have always been counter to the culture around them since they are living out the commandments of the Creator while the rest of humanity is more or less living out their sinful desires and priorities.