There it is. I never thought I would actually see it. I’m sure I should have expected it, but I never wanted to. The Writing on the Wall. No, seriously, it was there!!! A five stubby-fingered outline drawn right on the wall, along with a myriad of other childish hieroglyphics. This is, as it should go without mention to any parent reading this, not an un-preached sermon. “Pencils are for papers, not tables and walls”. “If you get a pencil out you MUST put it away, as the younger kids will write on EVERYTHING!” Yet, the sermon is rarely received, resulting in a police style lineup to determine the at-large suspect.
In a fit of fury the wife will resort to, “WHO WROTE ON THE WALL! I’VE TOLD YOU A MILLION TIMES NOT TO DO THAT!” Or, in a “eyes like fire”, cold, calculated “daddy voice” fashion, the lineup is faced with, “Somebody better talk, and they better talk now.” Pencil writing on the wall is not the end of the world, I realize. It’s more the repetition of the issue (pencils continue to be left out or this is the 5,395th time it’s happened today) than it is the severity of the crime that brings about the wrath. But, regardless of who is bringing judgment, or how it’s being administered…something happens. Something happens in the minds of those “sweet”, “innocent” little children. As if they were stuck in a 5 alarm fire their mind starts looking for the exits. Without any knowledge of John 3 they are praying within themselves, “What do I need to do to be born again…except to another parent???”.
Through the smoke and flame of their current situation, an escape route is spotted. “She did it.” “It wasn’t me.” “I didn’t leave those out.” I saw *child other then themselves* do it." The famed ghost, "Not Me" of Family Circus lore has, apparently, reared it's ugly head. Even if I was someone who'd lie to my wife I certainly wouldn’t do it to the knowledge of my children (what child can keep a secret, right?) and even if I did do it in front of my kids they would likely have no clue what I was doing. So, where did this amazing ability come from? Where did the handwriting Houdini come from?
Psalms 58:3 – The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
In the “nature vs. nurture” debate I have strongly stood on the “nurture” side, and with gusto. In my guesstimation, a child that was not behaving as they should was a direct reflection of the environment in which they grew up. This is not a 100%, all of the time standard. But, by and large, if a kid was acting contrary to the way they should then something in their upbringing was missing. I do not look to absolve parents of the need and responsibility to parent, but in light of the above verse I was, at least partially, incorrect in my position. “Spare the rod/spoil the child” (Prov 13:24) exists for a reason. As a parent we are all to teach our child the way they should go (Prov. 22:6) and if the way we teach them is biblical we will reap a desired result. That being said, that kid is going to lie. When backed into a corner that lovely lad is going to do whatever it takes to prevent the “rod of correction” from falling upon the “seat of higher learning” , even to the point of it falling on their sibling. Despite our best efforts our kids are heathens! (JUST A JOKE! I mean, our kids ARE heathens, but I only use that word as a throwback to my Aunt Peggy who always talked about the “heatherns”).
In contrast to this, the world at large would have you believe we are all, “good people”. Anne Frank is quoted as saying, "I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart". You would be hard pressed to find anyone to come against Anne Frank or this logic. If you listen to the news, the blogosphere, friends and family, or nearly anyone outside of the Bible, the general consensus is that human kind is innately good. Every article written or argument posed runs on the assumption that people are born with a sense of right and wrong. “In our hearts”, they argue, “we want to do what’s best”. They fall on the “nurture” side of the argument as I once did, suggesting that it is the bad influence of those around us that have corrupted an otherwise “good” person.
As is the order of things, children grow up to become adults. For someone to hold the idea that people are generally “good” it would logically have to follow that they believe at some point in a person’s past that they started good. To think that people are not generally good would suddenly heap us into that same category. By admitting that people are bad by nature it means that everyone, including MYSELF, is bad by nature. It’s a tough pill to swallow. As painful an admission of innate evil (vs. innate good) is, it begins an amazing change in perspective. No, this does not suddenly give someone the right to snub their nose at people saying, “I’m saved, and you’re not, and you’re EVIL! EVIL, I tell you! *Evil maniacal laugh*” The perspective change looks something like this:
I cannot achieve a perfection that I never possessed in the first place.
Let me say it again. If I was never perfect, it’s not possible to achieve perfection because perfection, by definition, is never having been not perfect. It is on this premise that we must live, otherwise the idea will creep up in our minds that we can actually do something to save ourselves. If at some point in our past we were “good”, even if it was while crawling around on all fours playing with blocks, we will allow ourselves the glimmer of hope that we can re-achieve that so-called innocence.
Romans 3:23 – [F]or all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Psalms 14:2-3 – The Lord looks down from Heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one.
These are the painful building blocks on which we find ourselves in need of salvation. There is no one worthy of Salvation or the grace that God offers us, no not one. The truth is that from the moment of birth we are deserving of death. No one wants to think of their new bundle of joy as evil, but let me ask you a question; if, from the moment of birth, you considered your child “not good” and in need of salvation, how differently would you approach their upbringing? How much more quickly would you bring them the truth of God’s word? How much more urgent would it be that THEY understand they are not “good”? How much less important would their self esteem be versus their understanding that all their righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6)? Taking it a step further, how does this impact our overall worldview? How does the idea that not only are people not good but they love being bad (John 3:19) change our approach to spreading the Good News? How are your current evangelistic endeavors altered in light of the fact that it is not possible for an unsaved person to seek God (Romans 3:11, 8:7)?
This message hopefully speaks to two groups of people.
First, I hope it speaks to those who do not yet know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I do not judge you for your current life, the things you do, the things you think or the person that you are. The fact is, It really IS who you are. It’s who ALL of us are, until the time of salvation through Jesus. We can hope to be nothing in and of ourselves. In the 3rd chapter of John it says, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Though there will come a time of final judgment it is important to realize that Adam's sin in the garden resulted in a sin nature being passed down to all humans, which means we are all guilty and judged before we even begin. The only way to be forgiven from judgment now, and final judgment in the future, is to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead(Romans 10:9). A simple “walk to the front of the church” experience is not what salvation is. The ideas of “confession” and “belief” speak to the fact that it’s more than words, but something that you commit to doing going forward. In other words, If Jesus truly is your lord, you will want to do what He says (John 14:15).
The second group I hope this speaks to are the people who are already in Christ. Because it “feels good” it is too easy to subscribe to the worldly idea that we are “all good”. This, in turn, impacts the way we go about our duty as Christians. As I mentioned earlier, we are not to be judgmental against people who do not yet know Christ as their savior. Why? Without Christ we are no better than they! This does not mean that we close our eyes and pretend that sin doesn't exist. Further, it doesn't mean that we stand by mum on the sins that ARE present. We are charged to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15). Without allowing ourselves to step onto a pedestal of self-righteousness, we need to lovingly speak the truth of God's Word, which is the means God has provided for the Holy Spirit to lead the sinner to repentance. So, to answer the questions I posed earlier, we can no longer think it is what we do that saves people. Don’t get me wrong, we are, without question, called to preach the word (Mark 16:15) and, as I just said, speak the truth in love. What we often overlook is that it is not our persuasive argument or crafty language that brings people to Christ. Yes, we are to preach the word but it is the work of God, drawing someone to Christ, that does the final work in the lives of the unsaved (John 6:44). When we put the focus on us and what we can do to “save” people it becomes glaringly obvious why the seeker sensitive movement has taken root in our churches. It becomes clear why we water down the message of the Bible which states simply that we are sinners in need of a Savior (Romans 5:19). I understand why many have reservations about being as bold about Christ as a sinner is about their exploits. We are too fearful that if we simply present the truth of scripture it might hurt people’s feelings and they won’t “believe” us. The root of this feeling? We think their salvation depends on our talented transmission of the gospel. We put too much stock in what we do and not enough in what God, through his Holy Spirit, will do. To put it another way, our faith is in ourselves and not in God. Our words are a part of the process, in that we speak the truth of God’s Word. But the end result of a person’s salvation comes by God’s spirit, using His words spoken in Scripture and transmitted through us, to draw the unsaved person to Him.
While there is great pain felt when we hear who we really are without Christ, and the plight we are facing, we must immediately be reminded of our available salvation from this destination. As much as it is true that from birth we are evil it is also equally and more importantly true that before the foundation of the world our salvation was planned and paid for (Eph 1:3-6, 1 Peter 1:19-21).
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
And the _____ shall set you free
And the ____ shall set you free
John 8.
Truth is truth no matter what.
It unfortunately should come as no small shock that this is not the way things play out. “Truth” is, sadly, a concept or, better yet, a “false reality” in most cases, that people bend to the point of breaking so that it will cover whatever situation it is needed for at that moment. The impacts and reality of moldable truth is as far reaching as your imagination will take you, and it will, quite simply, corrupt everything it comes into contact with. Family relationships, friendships, work, politics, and, more and more frequently, infiltrating the Bride of Christ, His church.
...And the prevailing wisdom shall set you free
...And the common sense shall set you free
...And the public opinion shall set you free
...And what makes sense to me shall set you free
...And what feels good to me shall set you free
“Truth is truth”. “Well, what’s true to you is not necessarily true for me.” Stark contrast, right? I hate to pull the “well, Webster’s says” card, but;
Truth – a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle.
Left is left, right is right. Gravity is a very real force to be reckoned with on planet Earth. Arthur Bryant’s has the best beef and fry (I lost half of you now...I know….but I do assert they TRULY have the best beef and fry). Facts! Somehow, the post-modernistic fancy of public and personal opinion has trumped “verified” and “indisputable”, which is what the Bible provides. To restate the point, this way of thinking corrupts EVERYTHING.
Let’s use “Love” as an example of how the postmodern treatment of the word has changed it into something that it’s not.
Love, in family and friend relationships, has been completely redefined. It is no longer “selfless love of one person for another”…which is the TRUTH of what love is as defined and exemplified in the Bible. Now it has become, “what have you done for me lately”. “Are you meeting MY needs”. When the object of our “love” affections no longer fits the bill…they’re out on the next train.
In the “churchy” realm of things, “love” is defined something like this;
“To truly love someone I must accept them ‘as they are’ and GOD FORBID that I would EVER say anything contrary to their current line of thought/feeling/opinion/trajectorytowardacliff even though it would certainly help them to be a better person”.
Don’t mistake that statement for being judgmental. I’m not saying we should insist that people be perfect, or anything other than what and who they currently are, before they come to Christ or church. If that were the standard NONE of us would be there. What that statement shows is the mentality that many Christians have of what “love” is to another Christian. This, of course, is despite clear instruction in the Bible to the contrary...a point which you will see clarified in greater detail as this progresses.
So, what about the church as a whole, not just the issue of love? I’m sure it’s gone on far longer than I want to consider or even realized, but post-modernism in the church, and the households of God-fearing people, is becoming as common as it is on Capitol Hill.
The word “truth”, found in John 8:32 is defined as:
“what is true in any matter under consideration”
Truth is something to be grasped. It is not an ever-elusive shape-shifting idea that is impossible to obtain or comprehend. That’s the tagline for postmodernism, though.
“Truth isn’t truth…is it?”
The questioning fashion of the statement apparently makes it OK. Truth cannot be obtained, or doesn’t even exist, so I will create a “truth” that works for me. So, again I state, THIS is why it’s so frightening that postmodernism has become the norm in many churches! The Bible deals In absolutes, despite the emergent church’s supposition to the contrary. The Bible is clear. The Bible is complete. How can I make such bold assertions? Because they are not my opinions. They are Truth, as found within the pages of scripture inspired by God’s Holy Spirit.
So, how does this “truth” thing flesh out? If it’s not just some abstract self-defined “thing”...what does it look like?
If God says, “Go” there is never an idea, agenda, circumstance, obstacle…anything…that will change the course of truth that God has said and put in to place. To point it out, notice I correlated “truth” to “God said”. It should always be the assumption that what God says is truth. He is the AUTHOR of truth. He cannot lie. So, in this example, “Go” is what you NEED to do. No debate. When God commanded Jonah to Go….there was no changing God’s mind. And again, the simple fact that God said it made it truth...period, end of story.
From a completely fleshly standpoint there were MANY obstacles, of course. Time, distance and not to mention the terrible and dangerous people he was to go minister to. Common sense (we’ll call this the postmodern interpretation of “truth”) would have stated, “well, I’m SURE there are places that are closer you could do a GREAT work of God in.”. Someone else would have suggested, “God surely wouldn’t have called you to THAT place! It’s TERRIBLE there. How will you provide for yourself on that Journey?” Yet another might say, “Who are you to say what they’re doing is wrong. It’s not OUR place to judge.”
Let me make this perfectly clear. The hypothetical statements I just made were made by “Christians”. Made by people that claim to be committed followers of Christ. When Truth (as originated by God) has been spoken, these well meaning (or are they?) “Christians” apply their world view, opinions, convictions, “wisdom”, etc, in place of God’s truth. It’s far too often that the opinions of yourself or others on a matter are weighted heavier than God’s Truth.
God also challenges us with many clear cut “don’ts” in His Word. For instance, there’s the “don’t do”, “don’t believe”, “don’t listen”, “don’t associate” or the “don’t think about”, just to name a few.
I have to make a parenthetical aside prior to developing the thoughts on the “don’t” list. Before you throw the “it’s always what you’re against, never what you’re for” card, please understand that biblical instruction is not for the non-Christian. Instruction found in the Bible is for those that have truly confessed Jesus as Lord of their life. There are opposites for all of the “don’ts” that were listed (i.e. DO believe, listen, etc). For the non-Christian, though, there is only one thing you need to hear, which is that “God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son and whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life”, and other supporting verses that will clearly explain what you must do to obtain forgiveness from God. So, I’ll just throw it out there….you can keep doing what you’re doing. I don’t WANT you to, mind you. But, without the leading, guiding and assistance of the Holy Spirit, which is received upon salvation, you truly CAN’T stop. WE ALL have a sin nature, so when someone says, “it’s natural to _____” they are probably right. This is really outside the scope of this posting, so I sadly digress at this point. The point to draw from this, though, is that the don’t list is for Christians.
So...the don’t list. It doesn’t feel good, does it? In fact, most if not ALL of it hurts. As I just finished stating, we are born with a sin nature, so, the things of God are contrary to our fleshly desires and tendencies even AFTER we’ve accepted Christ as Lord. God’s Biblical Instructions will rub us the wrong way, bristle our neck hair, cause us to dig our heels into the ground and go kicking and screaming all the way. They SHOULDN’T, but they often do. Why is this? Why the extreme resistance to the instructions of a God we CLAIM is the “Lord” and “Master” of our life? I’ll be the first to admit: I am often tempted to do the same thing, even though I don’t want to, and I don’t know why I do it. I guess I could suggest a few possible reasons. One being that it is offensive, even when we WANT to serve God. Having your beliefs challenged, even justly, is just simply offensive. Another reason being that if we WERE to accept and speak TRUTH that was contrary to popular belief, or opinions that are easy to deal with, that we would suddenly be labeled a “hater” or “not a lover” or “judgmental” or something of that nature. This, of course, is never fun or a comfortable position to be in.
All of this, though, boils down to the idea that if we do something, or believe something, it could be inferred that we must think it’s ok (otherwise we wouldn’t be doing/believing it, right?), therefore, anything contrary to our current actions/beliefs/convictions are, as a reflex, viewed as wrong.
Wait a minute…I said wrong. Hold on, that’s not allowed.
But, that’s the underlying issue, isn’t it? If someone is to allow, in a particular issue, that there is an absolute truth it, by default, proves that there is also absolute falsehood. It’s simple cause and effect. I heard a preacher say once that, “It’s possible for everybody to be wrong but not possible for everybody to be right”. When we’re not specifically talking about some hot-button issue, and you allow yourself to think about it in a logical fashion it makes perfect sense. Unless everybody has the answer “ 4” to the question of “2+2” then, no, not everybody can be right though they may fervently argue the point and have high profile supporters claiming that 6 is, in fact, actually the answer.
So, let’s throw in a specific hot button issue. Homosexuality is about as hot button as they come. Biblically, homosexuality is clearly, decisively and indisputably sin. Notice the change in your attitude? Suddenly you may not want it to be so black and white. You may be looking for a way around it. Suddenly you’re afraid of being pegged as a “homophobe” and don’t want to hurt the feelings of others. But remember: truth is truth is truth. It is the TRUTH that will set you free. It’s not open to debate. Scripture is clear, in more places than an Old Testament reference, that those who are living a homosexual lifestyle will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Yet even those in the “Christian” (term used loosely) community are ordaining openly gay people into ministry!
So, what is the unstated belief behind refusing to accept the totality of God’s truth? What are our hearts speaking through the actions of refusing to submit to His authority in all things, regardless of our opinions ? Understand this, and you’ll understand why this epidemic is so dangerous. To refuse to accept God’s truth, as laid out in the Bible, is to say you are right and God is wrong. Granted, you normally project “I’m right and you’re wrong” on a person that has stated something you disagree with. But understand that a person speaking a Biblical truth, which in turn is God’s truth, is not speaking their opinion…but fact. See where this goes? Yes, you are attacking the “unloving” or “hater” preacher who says “Rob Bell is teaching a false gospel”…but who are you REALLY attacking? The statement of the “hater” preacher is not theirs, but Gods.
“But who are YOU to say what GOD’S opinions are”, you may be asking? Allow me to address this.
2 Peter 1:20-21 states, “[K]nowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man (what we want or think is right…), but by holy men of God, spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
In summation, “you don’t get to decide what “don’t be a homosexual”, “don’t have sexual intercourse outside of marriage”, “if someone comes, bringing another Christ (Rob Bell, Eugene Peterson, etc) they are to be accursed”, etc, means. It’s clearly laid out in scripture. Yes, it’s uncomfortable to hear. No we don’t WANT to change because, again, we do what we do because WE think it’s right. But, what WE think doesn’t matter.
Isaiah 55:8-9: For My thoughts are not your thoughts nor are your ways My ways”, says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Believe it or not, there is a BEAUTIFUL comfort in this! God’s ways are higher than ours…so we don’t need to try and figure it out! Read, implement and repeat! And, think about this: Hebrews 11 tells us that without faith it is not possible to please God. So, even when we don't understand, or agree with, some biblical instruction, we are to have faith that God knows what’s best for us. Again, to not do so is a direct slap in God’s face, claiming that we, the created, know more than He, the creator.
Let me try to wrap this whole thing in a simple little package.
John 14:15-17 – If you love Me(Jesus), keep my commandments. And, I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you”.
There it is. Don’t want to follow what the bible says? Don’t want to subject yourself to the Truth of Scripture? If that’s the case you don’t love Jesus. The world cannot receive the spirit of Truth. So, if you refuse truth, as the Bible and Bible alone portrays it (not some pop-psychology interpretation), your salvation is called in to question. Bold statement, I know, but we are known by the fruits we produce. I can’t judge your heart, but I can judge your actions. Well, let me rephrase that. “I” can’t judge your actions, because who am I but another sinner saved by the Grace of God. What I am charged to do is speak God’s truth, in love, to other true believers, which brings us full circle.
It is the TRUTH that will set you free.
John 8.
Truth is truth no matter what.
It unfortunately should come as no small shock that this is not the way things play out. “Truth” is, sadly, a concept or, better yet, a “false reality” in most cases, that people bend to the point of breaking so that it will cover whatever situation it is needed for at that moment. The impacts and reality of moldable truth is as far reaching as your imagination will take you, and it will, quite simply, corrupt everything it comes into contact with. Family relationships, friendships, work, politics, and, more and more frequently, infiltrating the Bride of Christ, His church.
...And the prevailing wisdom shall set you free
...And the common sense shall set you free
...And the public opinion shall set you free
...And what makes sense to me shall set you free
...And what feels good to me shall set you free
“Truth is truth”. “Well, what’s true to you is not necessarily true for me.” Stark contrast, right? I hate to pull the “well, Webster’s says” card, but;
Truth – a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle.
Left is left, right is right. Gravity is a very real force to be reckoned with on planet Earth. Arthur Bryant’s has the best beef and fry (I lost half of you now...I know….but I do assert they TRULY have the best beef and fry). Facts! Somehow, the post-modernistic fancy of public and personal opinion has trumped “verified” and “indisputable”, which is what the Bible provides. To restate the point, this way of thinking corrupts EVERYTHING.
Let’s use “Love” as an example of how the postmodern treatment of the word has changed it into something that it’s not.
Love, in family and friend relationships, has been completely redefined. It is no longer “selfless love of one person for another”…which is the TRUTH of what love is as defined and exemplified in the Bible. Now it has become, “what have you done for me lately”. “Are you meeting MY needs”. When the object of our “love” affections no longer fits the bill…they’re out on the next train.
In the “churchy” realm of things, “love” is defined something like this;
“To truly love someone I must accept them ‘as they are’ and GOD FORBID that I would EVER say anything contrary to their current line of thought/feeling/opinion/trajectorytowardacliff even though it would certainly help them to be a better person”.
Don’t mistake that statement for being judgmental. I’m not saying we should insist that people be perfect, or anything other than what and who they currently are, before they come to Christ or church. If that were the standard NONE of us would be there. What that statement shows is the mentality that many Christians have of what “love” is to another Christian. This, of course, is despite clear instruction in the Bible to the contrary...a point which you will see clarified in greater detail as this progresses.
So, what about the church as a whole, not just the issue of love? I’m sure it’s gone on far longer than I want to consider or even realized, but post-modernism in the church, and the households of God-fearing people, is becoming as common as it is on Capitol Hill.
The word “truth”, found in John 8:32 is defined as:
“what is true in any matter under consideration”
Truth is something to be grasped. It is not an ever-elusive shape-shifting idea that is impossible to obtain or comprehend. That’s the tagline for postmodernism, though.
“Truth isn’t truth…is it?”
The questioning fashion of the statement apparently makes it OK. Truth cannot be obtained, or doesn’t even exist, so I will create a “truth” that works for me. So, again I state, THIS is why it’s so frightening that postmodernism has become the norm in many churches! The Bible deals In absolutes, despite the emergent church’s supposition to the contrary. The Bible is clear. The Bible is complete. How can I make such bold assertions? Because they are not my opinions. They are Truth, as found within the pages of scripture inspired by God’s Holy Spirit.
So, how does this “truth” thing flesh out? If it’s not just some abstract self-defined “thing”...what does it look like?
If God says, “Go” there is never an idea, agenda, circumstance, obstacle…anything…that will change the course of truth that God has said and put in to place. To point it out, notice I correlated “truth” to “God said”. It should always be the assumption that what God says is truth. He is the AUTHOR of truth. He cannot lie. So, in this example, “Go” is what you NEED to do. No debate. When God commanded Jonah to Go….there was no changing God’s mind. And again, the simple fact that God said it made it truth...period, end of story.
From a completely fleshly standpoint there were MANY obstacles, of course. Time, distance and not to mention the terrible and dangerous people he was to go minister to. Common sense (we’ll call this the postmodern interpretation of “truth”) would have stated, “well, I’m SURE there are places that are closer you could do a GREAT work of God in.”. Someone else would have suggested, “God surely wouldn’t have called you to THAT place! It’s TERRIBLE there. How will you provide for yourself on that Journey?” Yet another might say, “Who are you to say what they’re doing is wrong. It’s not OUR place to judge.”
Let me make this perfectly clear. The hypothetical statements I just made were made by “Christians”. Made by people that claim to be committed followers of Christ. When Truth (as originated by God) has been spoken, these well meaning (or are they?) “Christians” apply their world view, opinions, convictions, “wisdom”, etc, in place of God’s truth. It’s far too often that the opinions of yourself or others on a matter are weighted heavier than God’s Truth.
God also challenges us with many clear cut “don’ts” in His Word. For instance, there’s the “don’t do”, “don’t believe”, “don’t listen”, “don’t associate” or the “don’t think about”, just to name a few.
I have to make a parenthetical aside prior to developing the thoughts on the “don’t” list. Before you throw the “it’s always what you’re against, never what you’re for” card, please understand that biblical instruction is not for the non-Christian. Instruction found in the Bible is for those that have truly confessed Jesus as Lord of their life. There are opposites for all of the “don’ts” that were listed (i.e. DO believe, listen, etc). For the non-Christian, though, there is only one thing you need to hear, which is that “God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son and whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life”, and other supporting verses that will clearly explain what you must do to obtain forgiveness from God. So, I’ll just throw it out there….you can keep doing what you’re doing. I don’t WANT you to, mind you. But, without the leading, guiding and assistance of the Holy Spirit, which is received upon salvation, you truly CAN’T stop. WE ALL have a sin nature, so when someone says, “it’s natural to _____” they are probably right. This is really outside the scope of this posting, so I sadly digress at this point. The point to draw from this, though, is that the don’t list is for Christians.
So...the don’t list. It doesn’t feel good, does it? In fact, most if not ALL of it hurts. As I just finished stating, we are born with a sin nature, so, the things of God are contrary to our fleshly desires and tendencies even AFTER we’ve accepted Christ as Lord. God’s Biblical Instructions will rub us the wrong way, bristle our neck hair, cause us to dig our heels into the ground and go kicking and screaming all the way. They SHOULDN’T, but they often do. Why is this? Why the extreme resistance to the instructions of a God we CLAIM is the “Lord” and “Master” of our life? I’ll be the first to admit: I am often tempted to do the same thing, even though I don’t want to, and I don’t know why I do it. I guess I could suggest a few possible reasons. One being that it is offensive, even when we WANT to serve God. Having your beliefs challenged, even justly, is just simply offensive. Another reason being that if we WERE to accept and speak TRUTH that was contrary to popular belief, or opinions that are easy to deal with, that we would suddenly be labeled a “hater” or “not a lover” or “judgmental” or something of that nature. This, of course, is never fun or a comfortable position to be in.
All of this, though, boils down to the idea that if we do something, or believe something, it could be inferred that we must think it’s ok (otherwise we wouldn’t be doing/believing it, right?), therefore, anything contrary to our current actions/beliefs/convictions are, as a reflex, viewed as wrong.
Wait a minute…I said wrong. Hold on, that’s not allowed.
But, that’s the underlying issue, isn’t it? If someone is to allow, in a particular issue, that there is an absolute truth it, by default, proves that there is also absolute falsehood. It’s simple cause and effect. I heard a preacher say once that, “It’s possible for everybody to be wrong but not possible for everybody to be right”. When we’re not specifically talking about some hot-button issue, and you allow yourself to think about it in a logical fashion it makes perfect sense. Unless everybody has the answer “ 4” to the question of “2+2” then, no, not everybody can be right though they may fervently argue the point and have high profile supporters claiming that 6 is, in fact, actually the answer.
So, let’s throw in a specific hot button issue. Homosexuality is about as hot button as they come. Biblically, homosexuality is clearly, decisively and indisputably sin. Notice the change in your attitude? Suddenly you may not want it to be so black and white. You may be looking for a way around it. Suddenly you’re afraid of being pegged as a “homophobe” and don’t want to hurt the feelings of others. But remember: truth is truth is truth. It is the TRUTH that will set you free. It’s not open to debate. Scripture is clear, in more places than an Old Testament reference, that those who are living a homosexual lifestyle will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Yet even those in the “Christian” (term used loosely) community are ordaining openly gay people into ministry!
So, what is the unstated belief behind refusing to accept the totality of God’s truth? What are our hearts speaking through the actions of refusing to submit to His authority in all things, regardless of our opinions ? Understand this, and you’ll understand why this epidemic is so dangerous. To refuse to accept God’s truth, as laid out in the Bible, is to say you are right and God is wrong. Granted, you normally project “I’m right and you’re wrong” on a person that has stated something you disagree with. But understand that a person speaking a Biblical truth, which in turn is God’s truth, is not speaking their opinion…but fact. See where this goes? Yes, you are attacking the “unloving” or “hater” preacher who says “Rob Bell is teaching a false gospel”…but who are you REALLY attacking? The statement of the “hater” preacher is not theirs, but Gods.
“But who are YOU to say what GOD’S opinions are”, you may be asking? Allow me to address this.
2 Peter 1:20-21 states, “[K]nowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man (what we want or think is right…), but by holy men of God, spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
In summation, “you don’t get to decide what “don’t be a homosexual”, “don’t have sexual intercourse outside of marriage”, “if someone comes, bringing another Christ (Rob Bell, Eugene Peterson, etc) they are to be accursed”, etc, means. It’s clearly laid out in scripture. Yes, it’s uncomfortable to hear. No we don’t WANT to change because, again, we do what we do because WE think it’s right. But, what WE think doesn’t matter.
Isaiah 55:8-9: For My thoughts are not your thoughts nor are your ways My ways”, says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Believe it or not, there is a BEAUTIFUL comfort in this! God’s ways are higher than ours…so we don’t need to try and figure it out! Read, implement and repeat! And, think about this: Hebrews 11 tells us that without faith it is not possible to please God. So, even when we don't understand, or agree with, some biblical instruction, we are to have faith that God knows what’s best for us. Again, to not do so is a direct slap in God’s face, claiming that we, the created, know more than He, the creator.
Let me try to wrap this whole thing in a simple little package.
John 14:15-17 – If you love Me(Jesus), keep my commandments. And, I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you”.
There it is. Don’t want to follow what the bible says? Don’t want to subject yourself to the Truth of Scripture? If that’s the case you don’t love Jesus. The world cannot receive the spirit of Truth. So, if you refuse truth, as the Bible and Bible alone portrays it (not some pop-psychology interpretation), your salvation is called in to question. Bold statement, I know, but we are known by the fruits we produce. I can’t judge your heart, but I can judge your actions. Well, let me rephrase that. “I” can’t judge your actions, because who am I but another sinner saved by the Grace of God. What I am charged to do is speak God’s truth, in love, to other true believers, which brings us full circle.
It is the TRUTH that will set you free.
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