When a car tries
to race a train to
the crossing, and it
ties for first
place, it usually
ends up as a loser.
The odds the train
will swerve to avoid
the collision are
zero, and the
likelihood of the
car winning the
match-up is slim.
Most collisions
usually leave the
car and driver so
mangled that the
identity of neither
one can be easily
recognized. Millions
of dollars are spent
on warning lights
and crossing arms,
yet the warnings go
unheeded on a daily
basis as drivers try
to shave a few
seconds off their
travel time.
In a similar way,
most
people continually
try to beat the odds
with God. The
majority of
Americans consider
themselves Christians;
in fact, numerous
polls show that
between 90 and 96
percent of Americans
confess belief in
God. Yet, despite
the belief in God,
the population is
divided in its
opinions
regarding the moral
standard that should
accompany belief in
Him. People say
things like, “My God
would never create
hell,” "My God has
told me He’s fine
with my lifestyle,”
and “My God told me
[insert sin here] is
okay.” Based on
these statements,
we must conclude one
of two things:
Either one God has a
personality
disorder, or some of
us have different
gods.
Christians in
Chaos
Even though most
Christians claim to
serve the same God,
it is evident that
we do not. It’s
shown by the design
a person puts on
their
personal god
of choice, taken
from the Christian
God. A survey
conducted by the
Barna group supports
this view. Here’s a
list of divisions
within confessing
Christianity on key
issues found within
Scripture.
One-third of
born-again adults
(33%) say that
abortion is a
morally acceptable
behavior, compared
with 45% of all
adults, 4% of
evangelicals, and
71% of atheists and
agnostics (2004).
Half of
born-again
Christians (46%)
agree that Satan is
"not a living being
but is a symbol of
evil" (2007).
46% of born-again
Christians deny
Satan's existence.
26% of born-again
Christians agree
that "while he lived
on earth, Jesus
committed sins like
other people."
36% of born-again
Christians said they
believe in
moral absolutes.
37% of born-again
Christians believe
that if a person is
good enough, that
person can earn a
place in heaven
(2007).
Let's focus on
the last two of the
2007 polls first: 36
percent of
born-again believers
say they believe in
moral absolutes.
That means that for
64 percent of
believers, there are
no moral grounds
that can’t be
adjusted. That in
itself explains the
division within
Christianity. If
God’s Law, written
in stone, is not an
absolute, then the
person can decide
what is morally
acceptable to him or
her. This is of key
importance. If
something is
absolute truth, it
must come from
outside of mankind,
as it’s obvious we
change what’s right
and wrong to fit our
desires. It is no
different than
saying we can decide
whether we can beat
the train to the
crossing, despite
the arms being down
and the lights
flashing.
Recently, some
Texas Catholics went
into an uproar. The
bishops wrote a
letter that it was
immoral to support
the act of abortion, which had
been the Catholic
churches belief for
the last 50 years.
When some of the
church members heard
the letter read
during service, they
left the service. In
a television
interview, some of
those who left that
service demanded
that all churches be
taxed for taking
political sides. The
former patrons had
decided the issue of
“life” was not a
moral one, but a
political choice,
and the Catholic
church itself had no
right to tell them
what to do.
Runaway
Believers Openly
Rejecting Gospel
Fundamentals
If God is
absolute, then so
are His laws. The
laws of physics
have yet to change
in the car vs. train
contest, yet some
believe God’s laws
will make an
exception for them.
During this last
election, some
“confessing
Christians” voted
pro-choice and
endorsed
gay marriage.
Some chose to
believe the lack of
absolutes, or wanted
to justify their
selections for what
they thought was
best for the
country. What is
right biblically,
compared to the way
many professing
believers do, say,
and believe are
right seem to be in
clear
contrast: “There is
a way that seems
right to a man, But
its end is the way
of death” (Prov.14:12).
One must conclude
again that if the
moral law of the
Living God did not
change, then either
we chose to ignore
it or we have
different gods.
Scripture paints a
very grim event in
what are probably
the most horrific
passages in the
Bible.
“Not everyone who
says to Me, ‘Lord,
Lord,’ shall enter
the kingdom of
heaven, but he who
does the will of My
Father in heaven.
Many will say to Me
in that day, ‘Lord,
Lord, have we not
prophesied in Your
name, cast out
demons in Your name,
and done many
wonders in Your
name?’ And then I
will declare to
them, ‘I never knew
you; depart from Me,
you who practice
lawlessness!’
Therefore whoever
hears these sayings
of Mine, and does
them, I will liken
him to a wise man
who built his house
on the rock” (Matt.
7:21-24).
No one seems to
believe this would
ever happen to him
or her, despite the
choices he or she
has made in this
life. None of the
people mentioned in
this Scripture
thought they
practiced
lawlessness. Just as
in the case of most
of professing
believers today,
they deny absolute
right and wrong, so
they themselves
could never have
been “lawless.” Many
of today’s
professing will be
in this group in
“that day,” as
Scripture mentions.
Collision
Course with Stone
People always try
to escape the
consequences for
their actions.
Religion is often
used as the escape
for the conscience.
Once people design a
god in their minds
that will never hold
them accountable,
they are free to
enjoy their desires
of all the sin they
want. The conscience
can be managed as
one can rationalize
that even if they
“feel bad” for
certain actions,
their god would not
punish them, nor
cares what they do.
It is the same as
ignoring the
blinking lights at
the train crossing.
God’s Law was
written in stone for
a reason. It isn’t
going to move for
man's desires. The
fact that man can’t
keep these laws
should serve as a
warning that we're
standing on the
track. Laws without
justice are useless
suggestions. Many
professing believers
equate God’s
commandants to be
the “drive friendly”
signs on the
interstate of life.
When God set the
absolutes in place,
the penalty of
violation was also
set. If God is good,
just, and holy, He
cannot let anyone
escape
accountability. If a
judge were to let a
murderer go because
he was sorry for his
actions, the judge
would be bad: no
justice would be
served, nor would
the killer have paid
for his crime. Yet
professing
Christians today
believe their
actions will not be
brought into
account, despite the
fact they openly
deny God’s
absolutes. It’s the
same as standing on
train tracts with
full denial of the
laws of physics.
Either you or the
laws will be proven
to be in error.
Standing
On the Track
Many confessing
Christians today are
ashamed of Jesus. It
sounds odd, but it
is truth.
“For whoever is
ashamed of Me and My
words in this
adulterous and
sinful generation,
of him the
Son of Man
also will be ashamed
when He comes in the
glory of His Father
with the holy
angels” (Mark
8:38).
It’s not the
image of Jesus
we are ashamed
of--many people
wear crosses on
their necks and
place fish stickers
on their cars. Even
the secular world
doesn’t have an
issue with the image
of Jesus, as they
regard Him as a
“good and moral
historical figure.”
But listen to Mark
8:38 again when
Jesus said “and my
words.” It’s His
words we have a
problem with and
often refuse to
accept. How many
Christians that you
know openly deny
many of the very
words of Jesus?
How often do you
hear of Christians
supporting
the homosexual
lifestyle, abortion,
or even various
other ways of
reaching heaven?
Their words and
actions directly
contradict the
famous John 3:16
verse they can quote
from memory. Many
who openly claim
Christianity also
openly deny the very
words of Christ.
Paul also warned
believers about how
they lived their
lives. He didn’t
given inch on moral
accountability among
those who follow
Christ. He warned
them repeatedly not
to behave in a
manner that was
ungodly.
“You, therefore,
who teach another,
do you not teach
yourself? You who
preach that a man
should not steal, do
you steal? You who
say, 'Do not commit
adultery,' do you
commit adultery? You
who abhor idols, do
you rob temples? You
who make your boast
in the law, do you
dishonor God through
breaking the law?
For 'the name of God
is blasphemed among
the Gentiles because
of you,' as it is
written” (Rom.
2:21-24).
How many
hypocrites do you
know?
Yield Right of
Way
If you’re a
confessing believer
who has in the past
been unsure about
what is morally
absolute, consider
the fact that you
might be standing on
the track, rather
than being a
passenger on the
train. If you’re
into challenging the
authority of God to
decide what is moral
and what is good,
then you do so from
your own views, and
do not submit to the
authority of God’s
laws. Understand
that Christians who
deny their own
conscience, God’s
moral standard, and
the warnings from
Scripture may have
misidentified
themselves as
“Christ’s followers”
from the beginning.
God alone will sort
out the sheep and
the goats on the
last day. If you
want to know which
category you fall
into, look at who
you select as your
moral shepherd. Do
you submit to God’s
standards, or are
your values based on
what society says
is morally sound? If
you’re a Christian,
you should know it’s
not society that you
must answer to.
"For they being
ignorant of God’s
righteousness, and
seeking to establish
their own
righteousness, have
not submitted to the
righteousness of God”
(Rom.
10:4).