Saturday, January 15, 2011
When Anything Goes, You Got Nothin’
Imagine the ramifications of a just a “slight”, politically-correct change in the 2012 World Olympics. The change: afraid that we might hurt a contestant’s feelings or violate their sense of fairness we allow the contestants to adapt the rules to what they feel is fair. So, while running the 2,000 meter race, one of the contestants cuts across the center of the track instead of going all the way around, another sprays a competitor with mace, and a third runner takes steroids. Each of them has their reasons. Each of them feels justified. What if, in the name of tolerance and open-mindedness, the judges decide that anything goes and let them get away with such behavior? Suppose this kind of behavior was allowed in every category; how would that change the event? In short, there would be no Olympics. Because, when anything goes, you got nothin’.
The above scenario is no more ludicrous than our current trends in world culture. For example, in the name of tolerance and political correctness, many voices are suggesting that there may be a God but that everyone is free to decide who that God is and what his or her rules are. We are being counseled by many to define morals and values according to our preferences. Rules and absolutes are considered passé. It’s been my observation that those who encourage such thinking are usually people who deal in the realm of politics, philosophy or religion. People who have to manage companies, or help people heal, or teach children are usually forced to stick with much more practical philosophies - they understand that when anything goes, you got nothin’.
Here’s the problem with the “God is whoever you want him to be” approach: If baby Jesus, whose birth we just celebrated, is just another good teacher… if Christmas is just a winter holiday… if, in an effort not to offend anyone, we change the primary rule Jesus laid down when he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 NLT) or the rule St Peter declared when he said, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (NLT), then everything changes and you got nothin’.
But when you stick with the truth and live according to Scripture, you got everything. For example, in the past few months at the church I oversee, we have seen people filled with the Holy Spirit just like happened in the book of Acts. We’ve also seen many people healed, physically and emotionally – verifiable miracles. But it’s a package deal. You can’t throw out the rules and still have the miracles. You can’t steal into heaven. You can’t run a race if there are no rules and anything goes.
The universe has rules. Life has rules. Marriage has rules. We all have a Judge. But He is a benevolent King; so benevolent that He became one of us. There is a God, who laid down the rules. But then He came to earth, was born in a manger, and lived life according to His rules in order to demonstrate how much good could be accomplished by living life God’s way. I’m so glad Jesus came to show us the way. I’m so glad he is patient with us as we learn to accept His way of life. I am so glad He gives us power to believe and to live an abundant life. I’m glad He helps us understand that not just anything goes, because when anything goes, you got nothin’.
The above scenario is no more ludicrous than our current trends in world culture. For example, in the name of tolerance and political correctness, many voices are suggesting that there may be a God but that everyone is free to decide who that God is and what his or her rules are. We are being counseled by many to define morals and values according to our preferences. Rules and absolutes are considered passé. It’s been my observation that those who encourage such thinking are usually people who deal in the realm of politics, philosophy or religion. People who have to manage companies, or help people heal, or teach children are usually forced to stick with much more practical philosophies - they understand that when anything goes, you got nothin’.
Here’s the problem with the “God is whoever you want him to be” approach: If baby Jesus, whose birth we just celebrated, is just another good teacher… if Christmas is just a winter holiday… if, in an effort not to offend anyone, we change the primary rule Jesus laid down when he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 NLT) or the rule St Peter declared when he said, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (NLT), then everything changes and you got nothin’.
But when you stick with the truth and live according to Scripture, you got everything. For example, in the past few months at the church I oversee, we have seen people filled with the Holy Spirit just like happened in the book of Acts. We’ve also seen many people healed, physically and emotionally – verifiable miracles. But it’s a package deal. You can’t throw out the rules and still have the miracles. You can’t steal into heaven. You can’t run a race if there are no rules and anything goes.
The universe has rules. Life has rules. Marriage has rules. We all have a Judge. But He is a benevolent King; so benevolent that He became one of us. There is a God, who laid down the rules. But then He came to earth, was born in a manger, and lived life according to His rules in order to demonstrate how much good could be accomplished by living life God’s way. I’m so glad Jesus came to show us the way. I’m so glad he is patient with us as we learn to accept His way of life. I am so glad He gives us power to believe and to live an abundant life. I’m glad He helps us understand that not just anything goes, because when anything goes, you got nothin’.
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