A recent poll by George Barna showed that, “Americans have a positive view of the Bible. And many say the Christian scriptures are filled with moral lessons for today.”[1] Well, that sounds positive. The problem arises when we see that Christians are not far off of the same opinion. There is a big difference between a “positive feeling” regarding the Bible and a belief that the Bible is God’s inspired Word to us. The culture in which we live today believes in MTD, Moral, Therapeutic, Deism. A belief that we (all humans) are on this earth to “feel good about ourselves without sacrificing cultural relevance,” a “cake-and-Ice cream” theology.[2]
How often do we hear these words, “You be you” these days? Dale Partridge, founder and president of Relearn.org, has this to say about the idea, “’You be you’ is Satan’s counterfeit to God’s, ‘Be holy as I am holy.’[i] I don’t want to be me! God had to save me from me! I stand with the Apostle Paul who said, ‘I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.’”[3] (Galatians 2:20). I fear that Christians have been sucked into the MTD theology also. We tend to slip into our own personal definitions of God and His Truth rather than taking the time and effort to know what God has actually said about any given subject. What is deemed to be right or wrong by any one individual is more important than what God has actually said. We are fearful of hurting other’s feelings or countering their definitions. If we dare to counter the LGBTQ or BLM or CRT believers, we may very well be attacked for what we say. We could be called names or even be “cancelled” in public. The world defines sin as getting in the way of someone’s personal truth. The Bible defines sin as anything that does not give glory to God, our Creator (Romans 1).
Not only do some (many) Christians struggle with these issues, but even some Pastors are skittish about speaking out the truth. Perhaps we have all become too careful in speaking Truth to our world. Jesus did not come to this earth, die on the cross, and rise again, just to tell us to always be nice. Being nice is often a good thing, but sometimes it can get in the way of telling someone the truth, which can have eternal consequences. According to God’s Word there is no “your truth” and “my truth). There is only “The Truth,” and it has the power to set us free.
“Most Americans don’t know first-hand the overall story of the Bible—because they rarely pick it up,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “Even among worship attendees less than half read the Bible daily. The only time most Americans hear from the Bible is when someone else is reading it.”[4] Real, solid Biblical literacy is needed in our churches if we are expecting to make any real impact on those around each of us, those God has put in our lives to reach with His Gospel. As pastors, we examine our own lives and ask, “Am I shepherding my flock, or am I more concerned with numbers or some other distraction? Read, teach, understand and apply what the Bible says!
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[1] https://www.westernjournal.com/american-church-fallen-shocking-poll-shows-fake-christianity-supplanted-biblical-worldview/
[2] https://www.westernjournal.com/american-church-fallen-shocking-poll-shows-fake-christianity-supplanted-biblical-worldview/
[3] https://www.pinterest.com/pin/466544842643489873/
[4] https://lifewayresearch.com/2017/04/25/lifeway-research-americans-are-fond-of-the-bible-dont-actually-read-it/
