Are you a “Like” or a light? 9/2018 1/23
by Tim lamb
, Are you a “Like” or a
light?
I heard a “Christian”
actor being interviewed
on a news program. I
listened closely, not
because Christians are
exceptionally intuitive
by nature, but because
they should, in living
up to the title, desire
truth and purity. I
was stunned, however, to
once again hear a
Christian embrace the
religion of feelings; to
embrace that doctrinal
stance which approves
of a person’s right to
chose their morality; a
personal morality
tailored to their own
lifestyle.
Having experienced this
before; I sought to
understand this
phenomenon. This escapes
my
power of reason that a
person could approve in
others what they could
not tolerate in
themselves. What do
these people have in
common? What can they
gain from this double
standard that eviscerates
the moral
responsibility of others
while at least
claiming to hold self to
a high standard?
This is found on the
broad line between any
two sides of most moral
debate in the
civilized world; those
who just want to get
along. Those who claim
to have no right to
make the call; to take
the stand; to declare
universal truth. They
dismiss the notion that
even GOD would hold
anyone to a fixed point
of
reference or hold His own
to a collective
conscience. “To each his
own”, really means
“I don’t care if you are
right or wrong”.
There are cases where
there can be the
compromise, such as in
politics or sports or
food preference, but not
in moral decisions.
We should all want what
is right for each
other.
I am purposely avoiding
the actual moral topic
or taking categorical
sides here because that
would distract from the
point. The point
being, we cannot be
neutral on holiness or
purity. Jesus said “Be
perfect, as your
Father in heaven is
perfect.” This is our
hope and desire in
sanctification and the
Christian life; and it
should be spoken, in
love, as the hope we have
for all. People of
no faith or different
faiths need to
understand, this is not
condemnation; this
stems from our desire
that they NOT be
condemned. God is very
clear what will be
condemned.
This isn’t even
advocating that laws
should be
passed on moral grounds.
You can’t legislate
morality.
This is to say that to
care about our fellow
humans is not to approve
of their choices but
to desire for them the
approval of God’s
choices.
We base a lot of modern
personal relations on
the concept of liberalism
and conservatism.
It gets confusing when a
person seems to take
a conservative stand for
themselves but
embraces a liberal
ideology for others.
This
is the politically
correct thing to do but
it
really takes no stand at
all. It establishes
nothing in the minds of
our young people to
say “what’s right for me
may not be right for
you”. It lays no
guidelines for our civic
responsibility to
compromise our values to
the
detriment or pleasure of
others. What others
“feel” is not our guide
in developing
character.
It makes sense that
conservatism defaults to
liberalism when
conservative views are
not
applied to our daily
lives, thoughts, and
attitudes. If we say we
love order but live
daily in disorder and do
not contest it we
become disorderly. When
we say we are moral
but live every day
without contending for
morality we slip into
immorality. It’s a slow
fade from faith, to
doubt, to unbelief, if we
do not practice living
for God.
Christians have to
practice a moral stand or
they cease to be
Christian. They become
politically correct
spiritualists when they
do
not stand in Jesus Name
and say, “this is
wrong”. They do no good
for anyone, nor do
they shine a light on the
path when they make
no call for others to
follow the narrow way.
To make no call on
absolute moral truth is
to
shine an affirmative
light on the broad road
leading to destruction.
Can I say I love
others and do this?
Decide what the Bible
says and live it,
declare it; make the
call! By doing so you
bare good fruit, and you
shine the light of
truth on the narrow path
in a dark world. You
will not make friends,
you will not get a lot
of likes on social media;
but remember, they
hated HIM first, and He
loves them more than
you do.
|