There is a lot of bad teaching going on out there.
I’m not talking about the toxic preacher raining hell and brimstone down on “some other guy”. I’m talking about teachers……in our schools telling our children stuff that is just wrong. I’m talking about bad ideas being sold by the media and by our popular culture.
I have grand-daughters. One of them came home from her public school. She was talking about some LGBT issues and it was clear that she was being taught that this is normal and OK.
I need to make 2 things clear from the start:
First …….as Christians we are required to love our fellow man. This is not a recommendation. This is not optional. It is REQUIRED. This includes the loving the LGBT community.
Second……..school is a place for our children to learn facts and ideas that they will need to function in society. It is not a place to conduct social engineering. It is not a place for “educators” to sell their political views…….their opinions on sex.
This leads me to the point for this week. Our culture is constantly teaching us things that contradict the teaching of the Bible.
For example:
A gun is a good problem solving tool.
Sex outside of marriage is good clean fun.
A well crafted lie can get you out of trouble or solve a problem.
Lying to your parents is normal….they are not too bright anyway.
Christianity is narrow minded.
Christians are hypocrites.
Abortion is a civil right.
An unborn child of not a real human being.
Rules are for saps…….they limit your style.
How should you and I react when society teaches us something that contradicts the teaching of the Bible?
I believe that the Bible is often the direct words of my creator, God. The rest is at the very least inspired by God. There are parts of it that are clearly symbolic. But, there are parts that lay down very clear rules. Taken as a whole, the Bible, gives us extremely clear guidance on what is right and what is wrong…….on how we should live our lives. And, more and more, the teaching of the Bible is at is odds with what our culture is teaching.
When the Bible speaks directly, we need to pay attention and to follow its instructions. When the Bible says something……and our culture, our political party, our friends, or our teachers tell us something different, we must choose between the Bible and the popular culture.
I believe that the Bible trumps our culture. I believe that “Love God…..Love your neighbor” is a far better credo than the ideas being peddled by our culture today.
The culture says, “it is your right to kill your unborn child”.
The Bible says, “before you were formed in the womb, I knew you”.
The culture says, “any form of sex between consenting adults of OK.”
The Bible says that sex is for one man and one woman within the confines of marriage .
The culture says that it is OK to lie to accomplish something important.
The Bible says, “do not lie”.
The culture says it’s OK to lie to your parents.
The Bible says, “honor your parents”.
The culture says, “hate the other political party”.
The Bible says, “love your neighbor”.
Clearly, this means nothing to you…….if you think the Bible is just an old collection of stories………a popular mythology.
But, if you are a Christian…….then it’s time to start paying attention. You cannot discard a part of the Bible because you……or your political party, or the popular culture, or your friends, or your teacher…….don’t like it. Neither you nor I are smart enough……wise enough……..righteous enough…….to make that distinction.
You are either a Christian first……….or a Republican first…….or a Democrat first………or a teacher or media syncophant first.
Life is not a buffet. The Bible is not a buffet either.
You don’t get to pick out the ideas that you like.
You don’t get to discard parts of God’s teaching because you don’t like them…….because Donald Trump doesn’t like them…….because Nancy Pelosi doesn’t like them.
Because you are not God.
You are not in charge here.
If there is a part of the Bible that you reject……..because some talking head disagrees with it……. If there is a part of the Bible that you reject because you favorite politician rejects it………please reconsider……..because, in the final analysis, you will not answer to Sean Hannity or Jim Acosta or Donald Trump or Nancy Pelosi.
Take all that you can of this book upon reason, and the balance on faith, and you will live and die a happier man. (When a skeptic expressed surprise to see him reading a Bible)
Abraham Lincoln
Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you.
God, NIV
Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”
Jesus, NIV
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Jesus, NIV