THEOLOGICAL COMPROMISE
What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. 2 Timothy 1:13-14 (NIV)
Occasionally, our kids want to help in the kitchen. When Steph’s making food, they start grabbing different ingredients to add, usually some sort of chocolate or candy. They get excited, but I don’t usually share the same feelings because I know Skittles and green beans should never be mixed. They have the right intentions, but the outcome isn’t always great. I’ve seen so many people try to explain and blend their ingredients into theological truths, and while their intentions are good, the outcomes aren’t always great.
I believe I have the best job on planet Earth, and to have the opportunity to Pastor an amazing church like Brookwood is one of the greatest privileges of my life. One of the hardest things in my job is watching people who once seemed to be on fire for God completely fall away from the faith. Usually, when I investigate what happened, it was some theological truth about the Bible or God they disliked, and they began to add their truths.
I love what R.C. Sproul says, as well might a gnat seek to drink in the ocean, as a finite creature to comprehend the Eternal God. A God whom we could understand would be no God. If we could grasp Him, He could not be infinite. If we could understand Him, He could not be divine. God’s ways and His Words are higher than ours. He doesn’t need our help to make Himself more accessible or pleasing to people. He knows what He’s doing. We know the Bible is God’s Word. People today can question or find fault with it, but as followers of Jesus, we must never compromise His commands in our beliefs. Jesus is and will always be the only way to the Father. Heaven and hell are real places where people will go, but Jesus shed every drop of blood so that no one has to go to hell. The point is that the Bible, in its entirety, is the Word of God. We must cherish it. We must keep it. We must follow it. It’s not about legalism. It’s about the Spirit of God creating a desire to honor God above anything else.
APPLICATION: Our love for God reveals itself through our obedience to His Word today.
PRAYER: Ask God to help you cherish His Word and commands. Ask Him to cause your passion and commitment to His Word to increase so you might hide His Word in your heart.