The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9 ESV)
Over the past decades a move has been accelerating both in secular society and in the Church where more and more people are ruled by their emotions than trained and equipped by God’s Word (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Often I have heard more than one self-confessed believer say something like this: I know what the Bible says, but…Typically I have discovered it is whatever is on the other side of that but that leads people astray.
The Scripture clearly reveals to us we have a real problem that impacts every part of the way we think, act, and believe: Sin. Sadly many reject the clear, unashamed, often counter cultural teaching of the Scripture based on how they feel, what they think is right, or what society has decided should be tolerated, accepted, embraced, and celebrated. The Bible warns us of this type of circular thinking: There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. (Proverbs 14:12 ESV) I could craft a list of foundational Biblical truths that have been first ignored, then redefined or rejected, all to the peril of our societies, our families, and even our churches. We have drifted back to Eden and the Serpent’s temptation that it would be us, not God, who defines right and wrong.
Increasingly, many have begun to reject clear orthodox Christian teaching about a variety of issues. They cling to some Scriptures out of context while neglecting others. They accept some as authoritative and God breathed while rejecting others. They try to, in the words of one popular speaker, “unchain the New Testament from the Old.” What they are left with is no longer God’s Word but man’s. This period of history didn’t catch God unaware and it shouldn’t catch us unprepared. Paul talks about it like this: For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV)
Frustratingly, many are more concerned about regurgitating tired political tripe or false teaching than turning to the Scripture. What are we to do in a culture, both in society and even in some Christian churches, that increasingly abandons the Scripture for human philosophy or popular opinion? Build our lives and place our hope in the unchanging, unfading, unfailing Word of God. Seek God’s wisdom and grace (see James 1:5) and abide in Christ! (See John 15:4-5) What the church and every individual believer needs now more than ever is to be grounded in the Word of God and led by the Spirit of God.
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24-27 ESV)
