Can we handle the truth? Our last post posed that question. The answers are challenging.
Truth 1 – What we need isn’t easy
A problem in our culture is our love of the easy button. Don’t think so? You recognized the term, easy button! Here is where the easy button takes us: They need to get things right with God! Who? Them –
Drug addicts- Alcoholics
- Sex addicts
- Homosexual community
- Cheats
- Prostitutes
- Liars
That list could go on and on. These and many other things are called sin. And that points to the problem. Recognition of reality is the first step in solving the problem. Our population (not the politicians) seems to understand this when it comes to calling terrorists, terrorists. Why can’t we do that when it comes to sin? It’s not popular to call sin what it is. But if we do, then we realize we belong on that list of sinners. It’s easy to point a finger. But we don’t like the idea in the old song,
It’s not my brother, not my sister, but it’s me O, Lord, standing in the need of prayer!
Truth 2 – What we need isn’t comfortable
Once we call sin what it is, then we have to deal with it. And dealing with it means we have to admit to gossip, slander, and a number of other minor sins. What sin could have been forgiven without putting Jesus on a cross? Just curious.
If our culture/society is going to change for the better, then we -the Church- have to join Isaiah in saying,
Woe is me, I am unclean and undone!
That is not comfortable, but it’s necessary for change. And don’t think I mean change that takes society back to the 50’s. There was a revival just after World War 2 that some called the Eisenhower revival. Society wasn’t perfect, but the Church was being salt and light and preserving culture. What happened to some degree then, and what we need in wholesale form today, is a return to Godliness. What will that look like? It’s safe to say we probably don’t know. Why?
Truth 3 – What we need isn’t predictable
What happens if you suddenly release a caged lion? Everyone runs for cover. No one knows what the lion will do. But they know a freed lion can do whatever it wants to do. That’s a poor illustration of God getting out of our box of predictable expectations. We want to follow a nice, safe, predictable God that won’t push us much. He might even agree with our list of minor sins.
If we really took God at His Word, we would –
- Humble ourselves (talking about God’s people, not the sinners)
- Pray
- Turn from our wicked ways (O wait, we are on the sinners list!)
- Seek His face
Then He is free to keep His promise to restore our land. And rest assured that won’t be predictable. You see, God has never been in our box of predictable expectations. That we believe He is means we just have a form of Godliness without any power. We need to take God at His Word, then marvel at how unpredictably glorious His actions will be.
