The "tension" in living the gospel centered life

During the last month I have been preaching on the "gospel-centered" life. I have broken this series down into three main sections:
1. Understanding the gospel
2. Preaching the gospel
3. Living the gospel

This morning I was studying the two different principles that you pick up in the writing of the apostle Paul as to living out the gospel.

The first principle can be seen in one of my favorite verses in Scripture which is Romans 12:2 - "And do not be conformed to this world..."
And now look at the second principle in 1 Corinthians 9:22 - To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.

Just think about this for a minute - how are we not to be conformed to the world and yet at the same time become all things to all men?

That is exactly the tension that I am talking about in trying to live the gospel-centered life.

When we read the Bible there are certain categories that must be established in our minds. Thanks to Andrew Walls and his book The Missionary Movement in Christian History
we can better understand this Biblical tension. Walls writes about two impulses that we find throughout the Scripture which he calls "the indigenous principle" and "the pilgrim principle."

• The indigenous principle says that we are to make the gospel at home in every tribe, tongue and nation. The gospel must wear the garment of the culture and be at home there.
• The pilgrim principle means as soon as the gospel puts on the garment of the culture then it starts to criticize, indict and transform the culture

We as believers often make the following statement: "We as Christians are in the world but we are not of the world." Do you see that both of these principles come in to play within this statement? The indigenous principle - "in the world" and the pilgrim principle - "not of the world."

Christians are called to be separate from the world as in 2 Corinthians 6:17 - “Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN;

But also Christians are called to participate in the world as in 1 Corinthians 5:9-10 - I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.

So do you see the tension that exists as we live out the gospel-centered life?

We are in the world but we are not of the world
We are indigenous to the culture but we are to be pilgrims in the culture
We are to separate from the world and we are to participate in the world

So how are we to navigate between these two principles that are clearly stated all through the Scriptures?

Stayed tuned to this blog for further details...