We have not only the culture of our particular country, but also our self-made culture. Unconsciously and subconsciously, we all have some kind of self-made culture. This culture is constituted not only of certain practices by which we carry on our daily living; it also becomes the standard for our living. Whenever we have such a standard, we are under the influence of our culture. Culture does not merely refer to things such as our way of eating. In particular, culture implies certain standards. Within us we have a mental picture of the kind of person we think we should be. This is our self-made culture, the standard we have for our daily living.
When God called Abraham, He did not give Abraham a map. Rather, the Lord’s presence was Abraham’s living map. Most of today’s Christians, however, prefer to have some kind of “map” to direct them day by day. This “map” is drawn unconsciously according to the standards they have for their living. Day by day, they “drive” according to this “map.” Whenever we have such a “map,” we automatically set the Lord aside, for He is replaced by our standards. Because we have our self-made standards for the Christian life, there is no need to seek the Lord, to contact Him, or to trust in Him. Instead, we live according to our standards. Some may claim that they daily pray to the Lord and ask Him for help. Yes, they may pray for the Lord’s help, but the kind of help they want is that which enables them to fulfill their standard. This is far different from asking the Lord to lead us according to Himself. Instead, we have our standards and then ask for the Lord’s help to reach them. This is what it means to live according to our self-made culture.
Along with our self-made culture, we have the culture which we have accumulated unconsciously through the influence of our environment and background. From childhood, many have been trained to be honest, humble, gentle, and kind. Such a culture is part of their very being, and they live by it spontaneously. Those with such a culture may love the Lord and may be in the church life. However, instead of living Christ, they live by their culture. We may live either by the culture we have inherited or by the culture we make for ourselves. In either case, our being is occupied and possessed by culture, not by Christ.
Because we regard our culture as good, we do not condemn it. Who would condemn the standard he has for a good married life? Instead of condemning our culture, we treasure it and appreciate it. We place a high value on the good things we have inherited. Spontaneously we live by our culture. Even though the grace which has been ministered to us in the church life causes many things to be discharged from us, our culture still remains. Satan, the subtle one, uses our culture to frustrate us from enjoying Christ and experiencing Him. Now that Christ has come into us and lives in us, we must rise up to condemn the inherited or self-made culture which hinders us from experiencing Him. We should condemn our culture as much as we condemn the sinful and worldly things. Because our culture is part of our very constitution, we need the heavenly light to shine upon us to expose it. Under such a shining, we shall say, “Satan, I condemn your subtlety. Before Christ came into me, I needed to live by culture. Now I need to live by Christ. Therefore, I hate the culture within me and condemn it, for it keeps me from enjoying Christ.”
It is crucial for us to see that God wants nothing but Christ. If we see this vision, we shall set aside our standard and aspire to be one with the Lord in our spirit moment by moment. The all-inclusive Christ is now in our spirit. First Corinthians 6:17 tells us that he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. In 2 Timothy 4:22 Paul says, “The Lord be with thy spirit” (Gk.). Our standard should not be the culture we have inherited or the culture we ourselves have made. Our standard should be the oneness with the Lord in our spirit. Do not try to be a good wife or husband. Instead, simply be one spirit with the Lord. Then you will live Christ because Christ will actually be living in you.
God has placed us into Christ. If we see that our culture frustrates us from experiencing the indwelling Christ, we shall realize that as the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit, the Lord indwells our spirit and that we are one spirit with Him. We need to live by this mingled spirit as the standard. If we allow Christ to live in us day by day, we shall spontaneously live by Him. In this way, Christ will replace our culture.
The problem with the saints at Colosse was that most of them had been deluded and carried off from Christ to philosophy and religious observances. They set up this philosophy and these observances as their standard and lived by it. This standard kept them from the enjoyment of Christ and the experience of Christ. This was the reason Paul charged them to let no one purposely defraud them of their prize (2:18).
The principle is the same today. The enemy within us is subtle. We have certain standards, either the standards we have inherited or those we have made for ourselves. Because these standards are good, we do not condemn them. Nevertheless, these good standards are not Christ Himself. God does not want something good produced by us; He wants Christ and Christ alone. In the eyes of God, only Christ counts for anything. God’s intention is to work Christ into us so that we may have the full enjoyment of Him. When Christ has the free course within us to become our enjoyment and experience, our culture will be dealt with.
The time has come for all of us in the churches to hear this message, to see this vision, and to condemn our cultural standards. Then we shall realize that what God wants is Christ and that Christ today is the life-giving Spirit mingled with our spirit. Instead of living according to a certain standard, we should simply live by the Christ who dwells in our spirit. As we live in the spirit, we should let Christ have a free course throughout our whole being. Then we shall enjoy Him, experience Him, and be delivered from our culture.