Did God Really Say?

A king in ancient Israel wrote some timeless words.  In a flurry of arrogance, we attempt to deny them, but there “really is nothing new under the sun.  What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again.”  The human heart, with its intrigues and motivations, remains unchanged.

We think we are enlightened, but in reality, we all continue to travel along with blinders firmly in place.  We have a remarkable capacity to ignore truth.  The Boxer, the old Simon and Garfunkel song, contains a phrase that has a universal quality about it: “Still, a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.”

We are awash in a sea of relativism because we have disregarded the rock of living truth. The Bible remains solidly entrenched, but we have flowed with the postmodern current for so long that we are in serious danger of drowning in its murky wake.

Statistics reveal that now even a majority of evangelical Christians believe that there is no such thing as absolute truth.

That fact certainly puts a fresh spin on a question Jesus of Nazareth asked: “But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?” When the church, those disciples who Jesus proclaimed to be salt and light, no longer affirm that right is right and wrong is wrong, our influence on ethical issues has been compromised big-time.

Bits of truth have been blended in with a mixture of human-centric good intentions and outright falsehoods to formulate an elixir that has deadly ramifications. Intoxicated by it, we really do hear only what soothes our ears and go deaf when disturbing words are raised. We have edged perilously close to “having a form of godliness but denying its power.”

We no longer discern the pitfalls of reducing whole sections of God’s Word to conform to the politically-correct mandates of activists who adhere to the commandments of relativism. When thinking within the church becomes so addled that we routinely debate the concept of embracing sinful lifestyles to give them our stamp of approval, then something is most definitely rotten at our core.

For example, when religious leaders wink at homosexual behavior or in some cases even endorse it as an alternative expression of sexuality, then our spiraling descent into moral chaos is assured. When candidates for public office are able to cloak themselves in faith imagery that dupes us with its soaring rhetoric, then our downward progression will continue unabated.

If the church is prepared to accept the wholesale slaughter of innocent children created in the image of God in exchange for the promise of an economic recovery or some specific spending program, then we are circling the bowl faster and faster all the time.

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again.” In the Garden of Eden, God’s Word was downgraded and questioned to the point of direct disobedience.

All through history we have repeatedly followed that precise pattern. We experience the blessings of God, but reject his standards; we revel in the beauty of God, but dismiss his requirements; we hear of the wonder of God, but disregard his call on our lives.

Our blatant repudiation of a basic principle has set us on a disastrous course. According to Scripture and all of creation, we reap what we sow, but we desire to eliminate the bad consequences of our sorry choices. We want personal freedom without personal responsibility, thank you very much.

To that end, as a society we tinker in social engineering efforts, while refusing God’s accommodation for our fallen nature. Our Father eagerly desires to be in relationship with each one of us, which is what the good news is all about.

We ought not make excuses or backpedal away from the simple gospel, “because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” The church, as a vibrant community of true believers, are to be actively involved in expressing God’s love and forgiveness to everyone.

The secular fundamentalists have chipped away at truth for years, but God’s Word endures as an anchor for our lives.  It is “living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joint and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Did God really say?  Yes, as a matter of fact, he clearly spoke.  God’s Word is truth, which does not require anyone’s assent or agreement for it to be absolutely final in authority.