God as our Rock

Knowledge without Wisdom

  Does anyone else ever marvel that we are currently living in the future? We live in a time with drones and robots, virtual reality, electric cars and the knowledge of the world at our fingertips. And yet, with all of this the Truth is just as murky and unclear from when we first created bricks. With everything that we have, you would imagine we would be even a single step closer to answering the fundamental questions of human existence.

  Why are we here? What are we here to do? Who are we? The world fails to answer these seemingly simple inquiries. Darwinists say everything is an accident. Buddhists say we need to disconnect from all of reality. Taoists claim we must follow “The Way”. And this issue persists on the Theistic side as well. Catholics claim you must work your way to heaven. Muslims follow the teaching of Muhhammad as the great messenger of Allah. Hinduism gives you a large swath of deities to choose from.

Jesus is the Truth

  As followers of Christ, we know the answer. And we know that the world has been divided in its attempt to resist God at every turn. We know that these different faiths are designed to put man on top, and make God a puppet or a fairy tale. So, why is it that the church is just as divided in its beliefs, if not more so?

Jesus as our Truth

  The answer is simple. The reason the church is just as divided is the same reason as all the worldly religions. The church, in many regards, is treating Jesus as a puppet or a fairy tale. We aren’t treating Jesus as the bedrock foundation of our lives. We don’t treat Him like the God-Man who looked His apostles in the eyes and breathed the Words of Life that lead to our salvation. We look at Scripture as a rule book, maybe a collection of old wives tales with good morals. Do you?

  Maybe you sincerely believe Jesus is who He says He is. And yet, your life looks the same. You’ve added Jesus to your collection of personal convictions, but haven’t re-evaluated your other beliefs in light of your new faith. In other words, you’ve added Jesus on top of your existing beliefs. He is not your Rock. He’s just another add-on.

Our idea of the church

  I believe that it is this flawed reasoning that has lead to the many struggles in the church. When Christians look to follow Christ, yet don’t rely on Him as the foundation to build on, what happens? What you will find are different “versions” of Christianity that have similar concepts, with strange twists.

  You’ll see pastors try to be hip and cool, with ripped skinny jeans and velvet blazers in order to appeal to the world. Worship becomes warped and distorted from the communal praise of a glorious God to a flashy concert with colorful lights and empty lyrics, desiring to appease a younger generation raised in a culture that prioritizes pleasure and experience. Sermons become TED talks and comedy routines. Spreading the good news becomes a numbers game. The church is no longer a community, but a business.

Leaning on our own understanding

  Others see the problem, yet turn to their own understanding rather than God. Men bestowed with the gift of teaching, raised on pillars to become new idols. The Word treated as insufficient, filtered through the teachings of Calvin, or Luther, or whoever seems closest to our own understanding of the Word. Pastors lifted up as high priests, given authority by man. Love and mercy squeezed dry as we systematically amalgamate the Word with our own views and preconceptions.

  These different denominations may look different externally, yet internally rely on the same foundation. Not the foundation of faith, but the foundation of man. Each denomination is an attempt to reconcile personal views with Scripture, attempting to redefine the Lord’s Word in a way that preserves our own values.

Conclusion

  The solution to this problem is clear. Make Jesus your Rock. Take off the rose tinted glasses you use to read Scripture. Make Scripture the glasses through which you view the world. Look to understand what God meant in His Word, rather than what you think it means. Pray that God will make you view the world as He does, rather than working to make God see the world the way you do. Ask yourself, “Do I believe this because the Word said so, or because I think so?”