Having met many Christians in various parts of the world, and observing that they reflect different styles of devotion, attitude, and range of beliefs (some pagan), I imagine that significant numbers who declare firmly their faith to be Christian hold infirm beliefs/practices about the authority of Scripture. Some are somewhat cavalier in the way they interpret the Bible and Christian conduct. This leads to some confusion for general society about Christianity. A pilot told me that he witnessed Christ to a lady with whom he was having a one night stand. A leading publication reported on the life of Joseph Needham, well known writer: He was a nudist, a Morris dancer, an ardent Mao supporter, a practicing Christian. The article reported on the oddity of his life with his wife, and his mistress in proximity known and tolerated by his wife. Such beliefs and practices are contradictory, begging biblical evaluation leading to protest to the contradictions.
One carnal twist is made in the manner in which biblical commandments may be managed. They are turned into suggestions. Following the conduct of many alleged Christians, one adjusts the commandments of God as mere suggestions. Violations are judged less onerous so are made more easily passed over. To make God’s orders into suggestions reduces them to human evaluations. It shrinks the importance of what God has to say. We make suggestions when we are not sure of ourselves or situations, and because we know that people rebel at being told what to believe or do. Human conduct commonly violates the commandments of God. I must not permit myself to determine right and wrong. Even if someone else is proved wrong, what I believe may not be right. One is benefited to permit God to be the author of righteousness. A lady complained that she had blurred vision. The doctor made his prognosis. He ordered regimen and medication. Nothing improved and the doctor accused her of disregard for his prescriptions, and that she was a complainer. A lay person suggested the problem might be her glasses. New glasses restored her vision. The presumed authority was wrong, but so was she. We need more than human professionals. We acknowledge other possibilities.
Commonly we do not like to be told what to do. As the little lad said, When Mom tells me to do something, I feel won’t all over. Perhaps the greatest human enemy to any sermon is in this attitude. When we tell someone what to do, he or she may respond: Don’t preach to me! Sermons deal with God’s directives, not with suggestions. Consider the commandment to: Love God. It isn’t a suggestion. It is my duty of love to the one who made me. It has the human counterpart in the love belonging to my parents, in respect to source. Love in the western mind is conflicted with romance that may fall upon a person like a storm or accident. An accident never hits for some so they may not marry, may not relate to others, or may simply move away from inconvenient commandments. I am commanded to love my wife and others, through my will to love, and I am ordered to hate those things that I ought to hate. Hate is also of the will. What a life change becomes application of the will. It is first in the human willing to believe and respond. Emotions ought to follow, to keep God’s commandments. Believing God loves us we deliberately return love to him, and prove it so by keeping his directives. Love from the will guides virtue and conduct. The right must be chosen, with consistency, if affirmation of our lives will come to us, and register for righteous pattern of life. It is for this that we follow Scripture, to learn and adopt that pattern. Numerous models in history, persons we greatly admire, prove by word and action that this is the most fulfilling life pattern. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020