One of the chief components of any culture or civilization is its beliefs and values. In Africa and Asia, many people are coming to a Biblical faith based on a personal trusting of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Their desire to grow in that faith has led to a remarkable increase in the number of languages and dialects in which the Bible now exists with even a much greater number expected in the next thirty years.
When we focus attention on our own nation that once seemed to be a central focal point of Christianity and the worldwide spread of Christianity, we discover a very disturbing trend regarding beliefs and values. The days of people so believing the truth of the Bible that they would swear their testimony as true in a court of law by placing their hands on a Bible or by taking an oath of public office by placing their hands on a Bible have greatly diminished. Instead, there is a growing sentiment that the Bible is out of date. The new thoughts and ideas are contrary to Scripture, and therefore, the Scripture must be wrong.
In the Bible itself we discover that this trend is not new to our day. In Judges 21:25 we find the words that could be used in our day as well.
"In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone
did what was right in his own eyes."
When any group or groups of people decide that there is no absolute truth that can give direction to everyone, the thoughts of any individual can be perceived as truth. In my opinion this is a step in placing ourselves in the position of being God and thus replacing the one true God, the creator of all, with the created. We need to be reminded that it was Jesus who said in John 14:6:
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through me."
The writer of Proverbs saw the reality that individuals usually view their actions and thoughts as being right. But he went on to add that it is God who is the evaluator of what is correct. (Proverbs 21:2)
"All the ways of a man seem right to him,
but the Lord evaluates the motives."
We are seeing many churches and even entire denominations of churches approving actions and directives for the churches that are contrary to the Bible. If the church rejects the truth of what God has given within the Bible, who or what has become the aurhority for that church or group of churches? The only answer to that question is that a group of people doing what is right in their own eyes in contradiction to the Word of God have taken control.
If the Bible is rejected in part, then what is the value of the remaining part? Is it only a matter of time until a new rule or thought replaces the remainder? The thoughts of people that replace the truth of the Bible are not because the people have become smarter than God. It is because they need a way to justify their own lifestyle or to make their thoughts acceptable. The end result will eventually be that the place of the Bible as the Word of God will be replaced by the ever changing and inaccurate thoughts of people.
There is no doubt that our culture wants us to take this broad road of thought. Remember that the broad road leads to destruction. The narrow road focuses on God's Word shaping our thoughts and thereby shaping our culture and civilization. This narrow road leads to life.
Take some time this week to read once more Matthew 7:13-14. Those verses are in the Bible.
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