When I was about 13 years old, I can distinctly remember how much I enjoyed debating with my dad. I wasn’t a rebellious kid, but I, as all boys do, enjoyed testing my wits against my father. I know at times I must have frustrated him, but I am appreciative that I had parents who didn’t tell me to sit down and shut up. I now have two teenagers who have carried on this tradition. On most days, I am proud of the sharp minds and desire for knowledge that God has given them. On other days, I feel compelled to call my dad and apologize for what a pain I must have been. So, this blog is dedicated to all the dads who sacrifice to help their children find the truth in Christ.
The other day while having one of our nightly talks, my youngest suggested that if we all were more tolerant and listened to each other the world would be a better place. We then began exploring the limits of this statement. We talked about people that we didn’t think being more understanding of would be a good thing: murderers, rapist, the truly amoral. This eventually led us to the idea of, as Christians, what are the things that are nonnegotiable in our lives?
Why is this an important question in current times? I believe that we are currently living in the last days. In Daniel chapter 12, verse 4, it says in the last days that many shall run about and knowledge shall abound. With the advent of the internet, smartphone, and artificial intelligence (AI), I think this has been fulfilled. In our current society, we have developed a love for instant knowledge. At home we have a joke, “Don’t argue over something that can be googled.”
I believe that in the last days, this love of knowledge will be used against us. We are already entering into an age where news has lied to us, science has lied to us, even the clergy have lied to us. Boy, I miss the days when we only had to worry about politicians. So, if the last days will be filled with deception and little in terms of authority can be trusted, what are we to do as Christians?
The first thing that we have to do is believe that the Bible is the absolute, true Word of God. I know some of you are already saying, “But what about this scripture or that contradiction?” Of course, there are parts of the Bible that are confusing. There are certainly parts that I am unsure of the meaning or how to interpret them. Rather than trying to find exceptions, just start with what you know to be true. So let me give you a few that I hold to no matter what.
- Everyone has sinned and no one can have a relationship with God if they have sinned. God wants to have a relationship with us. Since before the first day of creation, God set in motion a plan for us to be able to have this sin be covered and for us to have a relationship with God again. This plan was for God to have his one and only son, Jesus, to redeem us – or buy us back from spiritual death. The whole Bible gives witness to Jesus being the savior or messiah who would be the sacrifice for our sins. Jesus, the son of God, came to earth and died on the cross as a sacrificial lamb to restore the relationship between God and man. After being presented as a sacrifice for our sins and paying our debt, He rose again, is alive, and sits at the right hand of the Father.
- There is no other way to have a relationship with the Father other than through Jesus. No matter how good I am or what I do, my relationship is only fully complete in Christ and His sacrifice. In addition, I don’t have to go through anyone to get to talk with God. No priest, no saint, or no church is needed to talk to God. Likewise, neither can they atone for my sins. My relationship with God must be a personal relationship. It is not works that are the basis of your relationship. Works cannot save you. However, works are the by product and evidence of a relationship. If you deny or say you don’t believe in Christ, then He will also deny you before the Father (Matthew 10:33). There are no secret Christians.
- The Bible is the final word on truth. Anything that contradicts the Bible – including what I think, I see, or I hear – must be compared to the Bible. If it doesn’t agree with the Bible, then I am being deceived in some way. This means that, at times, I may have to believe by faith rather than what I can understand with my senses.
So to bring it full circle, God has given us an intelligent rational mind. He wants us to use our mind. I believe that He likes us to talk and reason through things with Him much as my teenagers do. However, these minds also make us vulnerable to being deceived. We can be persuaded by others’ logic and even deceived by outright lies and deceptions. This is especially true if we place our own logic and the world’s logic ahead of the truths God has given us. So here is the challenge for you. Go develop your own understanding of the unchangeable truths of the Bible. Then, no matter what deceptions or persuasions are used against you, the scripture will protect your mind.
– Written by Jeremiah
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