Liar, Liar, Life on Fire
Matthew 11:16-19
But to what shall I
compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and
calling to their playmates, “We played the flute for you, and you did not
dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.”
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a
demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A
glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is
justified by her deeds.
A generation that decides what is truth rather than
discovering it rushes recklessly into the future. In many respects, we do not
care for truth unless it benefits us. The negatives of our lives are there we
say because we are victims, not because we are sinners.
Obesity is a “disease,” narcissism is a “disorder,” and
homosexuality is “something we are born with.” We label the constant battle
within to do right and wrong “bipolar” instead of describing it as a struggle
for control as the Apostle Paul did in Romans, chapter 7. We tend to condemn others for the acts we
ourselves commit, believing they have issues and we have reasons.
Paul told Timothy in his second letter to him, chapter 4,
that he should teach the Word in a way that reproves, rebukes, and exhorts, but
realize that when he is finished, people will frustrate him by choosing what to
believe based on what leader tells it to them the way they want to hear it.
Truth, in America and in the “church” in America, has become
relative rather than absolute. Majorities rule the church and nation, and we
are fine with that even though Jesus said the following in Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter
by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to
destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard
that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
We have allowed the Supreme Court to be supreme, the
majority to be right rather than just the majority, and culture to dictate what
Christ-followers look like.
As a result, those who claim to be Christians often
demonstrate the same pathological problems that affect the unbeliever. We have
identified with the wrong crowd, the wrong savior, and the wrong philosophy.
As a result of such thinking, we are enduring life rather
than living it. We gather to gain strength in our numbers, rather than in our
God, and we reassign definitions to words in order to make them fit what we
want to believe.
God created us to be “discoverers,” not “creators.” Truth, by
definition, needs to be discovered, and life needs to be adjusted to truth,
rather than adjusting the “truth” to our lives.
A nation and a church will eventually see that Godlessness
in any way, shape, or form will lead to disaster, but since God is rich in
mercy there always seems to be hope….in Him and in His ways and in His truth.
If we are to turn the ship away from the impending cultural
disaster, we need to begin doing what we can do, instead of thinking about what
we cannot accomplish. It would be wise for us to concentrate on the following:
1.
Understand and respond to the fact that there is
one God and that we are not Him.
2.
Understand and respond to the fact that God is
the creator and sustainer of all life, and has created life with absolutes, and
that He is patient, but not tolerant.
3.
Understand and respond to the fact that we are
separated from God by our sin, and that God is rich in mercy.
4.
Understand and respond to the fact that Jesus
Christ, God’s only Son, is the only satisfactory payment to God for this sin of
ours, and to accept His payment for our sin.
5.
Understand and respond to the fact that Christ
came to die in order to give us life, not just keep us out of Hell. That the
big tragedy in life is not Hell, but a separation from God and the refusal to
repair the relationship we damaged.
6.
Understand and respond to the fact that Satan is
real and real good at deceiving and destroying, but he can only do so as we
give him opportunity.
7.
Understand and respond to the fact that a
majority is just that, and not the determiner of truth. (With this in mind,
churches should change from majority rule to elder rule, from Drucker-led to
Spirit-led, and from man- centered to God-centered institutions.)
8.
Understand and respond to the absolutes in the
institutions God created or allows. The institution of the church is the body
and bride of Christ. The institution of Government is the vehicle for order in
order that we might live at peace. The institution of marriage between one man
and one woman is for life. These are all intentional and purposeful structures
to allow us an intentional and purposeful life.
9.
Understand and respond to the fact that the
battle in this world is not ours, but God’s, that He does not need us, but
wants us, and will use us as we position ourselves to be used by Him. Our job
is to position ourselves not to depend on self.
10. Understand
and respond to the idea that we were made to love God and each other, and allow
God to define what He means by such concepts.
If we would just implement these ten concepts, we would be
wise, for we would be applying the wisdom of God over the wisdom of man. Those
who want life need to seek God and understand that abundant life comes from
dying to self, not crying to self. We need to admit that we can and do believe
what we want, and surround ourselves with those who allow us to do so, or face
the reality of constant broken lives. This life is really about God, not me.
Any other descriptions and accounts of life that do not include Him at the
center are Satanic, and may be portrayed as loving, kind, and inclusive, when
they are really fueled by hatred, jealousy, and isolation.
For now, the choices are ours. Soon, our choices will cease
and we will reap the fruit of what we believed.
In many cases, the damage done by believing lies will never be repaired.
When you think about it, you realize that we have often
created a belief system that is not only based on lies and self-indulgence, but
absolutely doomed to failure from the start. We believe that God is rich in
mercy and grace, which He is. So, we think that when we ask for forgiveness and
He grants it to us, all will be well--which might or might not be.
If I were to take out a gun and murder someone, and then
later come to realize that I made a very bad mistake, and ask his family for
forgiveness and they forgave me, that would be nice. However, the man I
murdered is still dead. Their forgiveness may make my misery and their misery
more tolerable, but it does not change the fact that a person died.
Forgiveness does not necessarily mean the removal of the
consequence for the evil deed.
For those who are believers in Jesus Christ, Christ-followers,
true Christians, they are indeed forgiven for all their past sins when they
come to the cross and see their need and accept God’s provision of Jesus
Christ. The forgiveness for all the past sins is something that indeed will
change the future, for they will never see the judgment that is due them, and
there will indeed be judgment.
However, one needs to see that the “past aspect” of their
salvation, or the idea of having sins forgiven by God, will not change the fact
that a sin has been committed. The murdered man is still dead, yet my penalty
has been paid in full, and I am now clean before my God.
In reality, there are three aspects of salvation. First of
all, there is the past aspect, which I just described. Next, there is also the
“present aspect” of salvation. In the past, we are freed from the penalty of
sin. In the present, we are freed from the very power of sin. As a true
believer, we have a choice, a real choice now that we have the capability of
understanding and responding to the truth. That is why it is so critical to not
believe whatever we want to believe, but to know and respond to the truth, for
if we believe whatever we want to believe, we give up the very power that God
wants to give us to defeat the power of sin in our life today. The power to
live life as it ought to be lived comes from living in the truth, not in living
in the lie.
The third aspect of our salvation is the “future aspect,” or
the fact that one day those who are God’s children will be freed from the very
presence of sin. God is not tolerant, and one day, those who are His true
children will live in a place where there is no sin.
Many who call themselves Christians often celebrate the idea
of being forgiven for past sins, and the fact that one day they will live in a
place without sin. However, few celebrate the idea of being delivered from
present sin today. In fact, we have believed our own lies, we live as those
around us live, and we wonder why we cannot pull ourselves out of the slew in
which we seem to always dwell.
The answers are here. The truth can be discovered. If we
seek God, we will find Him.
Perhaps, we still have time to change the course of history,
even though we will not be able to change the scars of self-indulgence we have
already incurred. Perhaps we can begin to set things up for the next generation
in a way that will actually work, that gives them a chance at real hope and
real change, instead of handing them the rhetoric of hope and change when in
reality, nothing changes. Perhaps we can
work on the prevention of disaster with more resources and diligence, rather
than setting our sights and energies on restoration.
A good maintenance plan usually means there is no need for
restoration, and is based on the reality of what happens to a structure if
neglected. We need to stop neglecting our children, our churches, and our
nation. For now, the choice may still be ours, and the outcome is already
determined depending upon the choices we make.
Dave Wager davewager.com
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