One idea that I have been mauling over recently is the idea
of “what is truth?” By no means has my
faith been shaken or frustrated by this question, but at the same time I have
been trying to make heads and tails of a concept that is getting pushed out further
by post-modern ideology.
I am also wrestling with the fact that Christianity is
becoming considered more and more archaic and irrelevant in society. With me, I have never really looked at it
that way because I have seen how Christ works harmoniously within human ethics,
natural law and natural order. To me it
makes sense and it is timeless. Having
seen miracles, having come face to face with demonic spirits, and having had
people who did not know me tell me something that “read my mail”, I am
convinced that there is a spiritual realm and a God who is active in our lives.
So how did we get to this point? I realize that because of what humans have
done over the centuries, Christianity has become viewed as ritualistic, destructive, and
closed-minded: something that Christ did not intend. In fact, Christ was trying get the Pharisees
out of the ritualistic and condescending mindset. The crusades, the corruption of various
churches, and the fallibility of church leaders (who happen to be just as prone
to sin as you and I) demonstrates that the Church at times has been
corrupted. But Christ, the man and God
that I follow, has not been corrupted.
So what I have been learning is that having the right truths
in place is crucial to having a Christian Worldview. A section of one of my text books describes
the Christian Worldview, and it looks sort of like this (I added a little of my story to it):
-God is the creator:
When I have studied science and look at the Universe, I am in awe when I
consider the nuances of our mere existence, it had to have been intelligent
design. Knowing that I was created by
him and that I am unique empowers me and makes me grateful for what I do have,
rather than focus on what I don’t have.
-I need God: Whether it is because of someone sinning
against me or sin that I have committed on my own, I need God. I have struggled since birth with trouble
that is the result of sin, not my own sin, but someone else’s. Rather than being angry or bitter, I chose to
turn to God and ask him to bridge the chasm.
With sin that I commit, I ask for God’s help so that I can live a life
that can bless others rather than take life from them and to leave my
destructive tendencies in the past.
-God is the redeemer: In
the Old Testament, cultures would sacrifice to appease God. The more perfect the creature was the better
the sacrifice and the greater appeasement existed. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice and died for our sins, and because
I accepted his invitation (which is given to everyone) and take the time to know him, he accepts me for who I
am. It was not because I was anything
great, because I have not been anything great.
Instead, it was because he loved me even as a broken person, and he
redeemed me. As bad as I can be, he
still loves me.
-Until heaven, I will struggle, but I will get there: As long as I am breathing, I will be tempted
to make transgressions that hurt others, God, or myself (commit sin). I will accidently make transgressions that
hurt others, God, or myself. But just
like a child who spills his milk by accident, I know that God gives me grace
and he understands my fallibility rather than screams at me for being
careless. The fact is, I do not want to
take advantage of his grace and generosity… because using God for salvation is
missing the point of being Christian. So I continue my relationship with him and look forward to the day that I will see him face to face.
I found that it
was very helpful for me to read that and I hope that you can find it helpful as well. But as I am getting older and as I am
watching the world change around me, I want to give you something to chew on…
2 Corinthians 4:3-
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound
doctrine. Instead, to suit their own
desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what
their itching ears want to hear.
When I read this verse, a few things come to mind:
1.
Postmodernism has taken truth out of the
picture. Truth not only convicts (what
people are avoiding), but it gives life.
Even in painful moments, we are pruned to be more fruitful (John 15:2). This is why it is significant that we have people in our lives who will guide us lovingly, prick our consciouses, and remind us of what the Bible says.
2.
Whether I am liberal or conservative, if I
surround myself with people who only think like I do and I push out opponents,
I will form a very lopsided worldview.
Not only do my views need to be challenged to create strength, but also I
need to understand what others believe. I don't have to agree with them, but I need to dialogue with them.
3.
I am responsible for studying the Bible myself,
seeking its truths, and testing anything that is questionable that someone else
tells me. I am supposed to exegete
(study not just the scripture but the context) and avoid pulling it out of
context to suit my desires.
4.
I need to ask God to tell me what I NEED to
hear, not what I WANT to hear.
This is just a starting point, so let me ask you
rhetorically, how does this verse speak to you? Does it make you second guess where your
source of truth comes from, or does it motivate you to continue down the path
you are on? To me, it motivates me to
constantly seek the most Christ-like path and it challenges me to grow a
person, leader, and teacher.
Also, be sure to ask yourself, am I going to this person because they validate me or am I going to this person because they love me and want me to grow?
Thank you for letting me share my heart today and thank you again for reading, I love you guys!
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