Never Settle for Less

Heads up - this may step on a few toes. Read at your own risk.

Continuing on from yesterday's thoughts - it seems to me that the whole concept of never offending anybody else by having the guts to stand up and tell them that their ideas are wrong (with GRACE AND LOVE) - has led us to a cultural phenomena of relativism and subjectivism - whereby we say that there is no such thing as absolute truth - and therefore, I alone, as the seeker of truth have the ability to dictate what, for me, is right and wrong.

To me, this whole concept is flawed because if indeed it were true, the very statement that there is no absolute truth, would have to be an absolute truth, and as a result, with that very statement, the whole concept of relative truth begins to break down.

It is this relativistic and subjectivistic approach to life that causes us to twist Scripture and settle for half-truths that sound good. We settle for beliefs like - "a loving God would never send a good person to hell". Or "a loving God would never disapprove of a monogamous, loving relationship regardless of orientation or marriage commitment."

Well, I'm sorry - but scripture teaches us that no matter how GOOD we are, we can never earn our own way to heaven. I can go to church, give to the poor, shelter the homeless, and feed the hungry, but unless I have Jesus Christ in my life - unless I am relying on Him and Him alone for my salvation - I am going to spend eternity in hell.

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6, ESV)

The bible also teaches that immorality - whether between a man and a woman, two men, or two women is wrong. God's plan for intimacy is within the boundary of marriage. PERIOD.

Likewise - gossip, slander, impatience, selfishness, arrogance, pride, and many more sins are all wrong.

It may not seem fair or right to us - but look at what the Lord says:

Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die. "Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 18:23-31, ESV)

The bottom line - God will judge us according to our actions - in light of what is right and wrong according to His perfect standard - whether we like it or not.

Big Bold Humble Truth

Ok - so the month of May wasn't very good for blogging - we had soccer 4 (sometimes 5) nights a week. I kept meaning to sit and write something, but it just didn't happen - so here we are - already into June and I am forcing myself to sit and write again.

I am preparing for family camp in a few weeks. Evidently, seeing as how I have 6 kids, they decided that I knew about being a family and have asked me to lead the chapel services. I am excited for the opportunity, but also a little overwhelmed at the prospect of 4 chapel services in 3 days while at the same time keeping up with church, work, and the occasional flooded basement.

The theme for camp this year is BOLD HUMILITY - based on Philippians chapter 2. As I have been thinking about this - I have realized a few things. If you simply read the first 11 verses of Philippians chapter 2 - it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that humility is simply love love, joy joy, do whatever you can to make other people happy, put their needs and desires ahead of your own, etc. While that all sounds good, we can't skip the next section of chapter 2 in which we are encouraged to stand as "blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation among whom you shine as lights in the world."

Sometimes we are so worried about not offending someone that we are willing to overlook their faults and grey areas. We think this is being humble peacemakers - but in reality it is being a spineless wimp.

Yes we need to offer grace to people, but we also need a full measure of truth. Grace without truth leads to disasterous results - truth without grace leads to harsh judgementalism.

When we are standing in the dark and all of a sudden a bright light is turned on. It isn't very pleasant - especially when it shines right in our eyes - but when the bright light illuminates the ground before us, our eyes adjust and we are thankful for what the light reveals. That is a picture of how grace and truth work toghether. The light is the truth, the grace shines it on the path that we need to take rather than abrasively in our face.

That's enough for today - more to follow soon.