[He] is able to do infinitely more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20)
Dear Friends, financial and prayer partners,
Doubt is at the heart of defeat. If you don’t believe, you cannot achieve it. Now, that’s not just a cute little jingle; it’s the truth. To him that believes, all is possible (Mark 9:23). These are the words of Jesus, not necessarily mine. This, however, leads us to what we believe, and what must we believe in order to achieve?
While in India I met a couple, who prayed to a frog, and a Hindu priest who performed a wedding for a couple of frogs. That may seem weird to the western mindset, but it made perfect sense to them. Does commonsense support this? Well, not really; but we must admit that nature does seem to favor pairing opposite genders. He and they, I suppose, just wanted to confirm that. I would suggest, however, that the wedding ceremony meant absolutely nothing to the frogs, and for the most part westerners and easterners alike.
So, the bottom line is that what we believe must make some sense in the larger scheme and purpose of things. Life must have meaning, not just to a particular Hindu priest or guru but to humanity at large. So, the question is, “Is Jesus Christ big enough to embrace the whole or just part of the whole?”
In other words, is Jesus the Messiah, or must we look for another one, or even more subtle, modify the one we have to address the shifting sands of languages and cultures in the historical context of each succeeding generation. To put it another way, must our theology be in a constant flux to meet the demands of the ever-shifting changing character of language and social understanding, not just in Christian culture but also that of others? If not, then how can we be all things to all men (1 Corinthians 9:22)?
Put simply, does and can Christ speak in and through any and all cultures regardless of the superficial trappings of language and culture? The answer, in my opinion, is “Yes,” but not without changing them, including our own.
Observation alone seems to indicate that no particular culture has a tight hold on virtue and purpose. There is enough evil floating around in Western, even Christian culture, to warp any virtuous purpose that we may perceive in our particular lifestyle. Except for a few righteous souls, we are rotten to the core.
But, wait, there is hope!
There is constancy in Jesus Christ. He is the same, yesterday, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). His aseity remains forever, unchangeable, constant and dependable. In essence, theology does not change God, on the contrary we must trust what He has revealed to us, no more and no less—for, once again, I remind all of us that “there is no shadow of turning in Him (James 1:17),” and “we are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10-11).” For, He is the “I Am,” the LORD our God, the Holy One of Israel, our Savior (Isaiah 43:3).
Now, it is true that languages and cultures must constantly be redefined if they wish to remain true to God, but it is never the other way around. “for the word of the Lord endures forever." And this is the word that was preached to from the beginning (1 Peter 1:25; Jude 3); and that word shall remain forever fixed in the heavens (Psalm 119:89).
So, frankly speaking, what was good enough for Paul and Sylas is good enough for us, and that goes for the rest of us in each succeeding generation. For sure, religion can be tailormade to fit the size of just any and everybody, but not the Faith that was once and for all times delivered to the saints (Jude 3). Romans chapter one is just as binding today as it was then, and the same goes for the rest of the Bible, both Old and New, unless specifically stated otherwise.
This business of changing theology and ethics to flow with the religious tide of the times is not only unscriptural, but it is also absolutely dangerous for us as individuals and for our nation and the world at large. Science and the wonderful art of attempting to cover and condone every aberrant behavior with an umbrella of love or political correctness is insanity at its finest.
Now, some of you may think that I am preaching to the choir with this little tirade; believe me, however, when I assure you, I am not.
As ever, striving for the truth,
JimR_/
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