THE INSTABILITY OF FAITH A LA CARTE

Being a Christian can be tough work. It should be, really. We are all incredibly flawed human beings, so fixing anything that broken should take a herculean amount of effort. If it was easy, I’d say something was wrong. Luckily though, we don’t do it alone. Christ is available to us in every way. The goal, the prize—having Christ at the center of our lives, becoming Christ-like as a result and the redemption (being rescued from the repercussions of our sins, allowing us to enjoy eternity) that comes along with it—are easy goals to run toward in presentation, but the Christian walk itself takes a lot of soul searching and hard work. Two steps forward, 1.95 steps back, but it’s well worth it.

The notion that there is something to work for can be confusing and even offsetting. Some Christians are fond of saying, “if you’re saved, you’re saved”, implying that after you’ve turned towards the direction of God, there’s no more you can do nor need to do. So, from a certain perspective, the day you accept Christ is the day the work stops.

But just then, someone hands you a Bible and says, “Read this” or “Explain this to me.” Well, it’s not just a pamphlet, is it? It’s a big book—and a confusing one, no doubt. Of course, some would say it all depends where you flip to. John 3:16 might be a first stop, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (NIV) In fact, it might be the verse that brought you to God in the first place. That verse seems simple and direct enough. But then you start whipping through some of those really long sections, and it starts getting pretty heavy, with references about eating his flesh, about being the I Am, and about making those who see blind. If that doesn’t make you stop and say “What does that mean?” then maybe you’re not reading very carefully. You’re not the only one.

Just a few steps outside the safe confines of the freeing experience of giving your life to the Lord, you run into some hard ground, to say the least. What are you going to do?

Then, if you read even further, you come to some Scripture that, though it seems simple enough, is obviously at odds with the culture we’re living in. You learn that contrary to popular sayings, love is not blind, and words can kill. You find some pretty direct discourse about key social issues like divorce, adultery, sleeping around, homosexuality, lying, stealing, and pride, just to name a few.

Just a few steps outside the safe confines of the freeing experience of giving your life to the Lord, you run into some hard ground, to say the least. What are you going to do?

To begin with, we all start out just chewing on those bites that we can sink our teeth into, or more accurately using biblical imagery, we start out on milk, like babies. It is really satisfying, in those early days of our faith, to meditate on those simple and easy truths in Scripture.

But there is a lot more than milk in the Christian walk. There are phenomenal truths to be dug out of a mature faith. Have you ever been to the gym and seen a poster that says, “If you’re not getting stronger, you’re getting weaker?” Well, it may be similar with our faith. God knows that we need to keep putting more weight on the bar if we are going to cover the ground that we need to.

Some Christians, though, stop covering that ground. They become content to forever limit the practice of their faith to those bits of Scripture they claim to understand the best and, frankly, like the best. But that temptation to stop is dangerous to our growth in God. As you begin to focus more and more on those bits of Scripture that you like, looking through verses the way we survey the offerings in a buffet, with tongs in hand, you are inclined to grab hold of what might later become merely common words of wisdom and you leave behind much of God, both his depth of flavor and his feast of knowledge.

The tendency to move toward these common words of wisdom or familiar sayings rather than the fullness of Scripture is not unusual, but leaves us less fulfilled, still wanting—and we end up sometimes forgetting what Christ did on the cross and who he really is. Christ didn’t just come to impart words of wisdom, he came to give the world, and all of us in it, a makeover.

When you face an emergency exit map, and the building you are in is ablaze, you do not want general terms, options, or suggestions; you need a direct route to safety and salvation. Christ is that map and that is why he called himself The Way, The Truth, and The Life. The directions out of the building, like it or not, are in that big, confusing Bible.

We must take it all: the confusing stuff, the stuff that means we have to change our lives, and the sometimes inconvenient stuff.

I once heard a guy say that he couldn’t believe any religion that couldn’t be summed up in a page or two of clear and easily understood writing. The full content of any valid faith, for him, must be able to be completely and fully grasped by a child. Now, I do not think that he would have thought the complexities of his own job could be grasped by a child, so it is confusing to me that he would have thought the making and maintaining of all creation and the salvation of humans throughout all time should be graspable by a child. Likewise, God’s definitive Word to humanity, embodied in the Bible, contains glimpses of his wisdom that are too great for me to comprehend.

We must take it all: the confusing stuff, the stuff that means we have to change our lives, and the sometimes inconvenient stuff.

If the Bible is really the Word of the Almighty God, I would expect that the most brilliant people that have ever lived should be able to spend their whole lives studying it and say they feel they have barely scratched its surface. And that is exactly what has been said about the Bible. The fact that parts of the Bible are over my head is actually a comfort to me. Plus, it is exciting to know that by facing the hard stuff of Scripture, with prayer and fellowship (gathering with people who share an interest in Christ), I will get to experience some of that mind-blowing stuff I alluded to above.

Perhaps some Christians worry that if they really dig into all of Scripture, they will be forced to agree with, and behave like, some particular Christian group or people they know of that are not particularly likable. We all know of some Christians that are not very likable, and who wants to be like that? But just look at the Christian church as a whole. Between the Catholic and Protestant churches and all the various denominations across every country of the world, there are a lot of ways to exercise the Christian faith. The whole world can see that the Christian church has a lot of room for personal and cultural differences, preferences, and even room to wrestle with and interpret Scripture.

In fact, Scripture distinctly says that we will not be the same, but will each exhibit different gifts and passions. The majority of foundational elements between Christians are in agreement, yet the modes of worship and the way services are handled vary greatly across the world’s cultures. Furthermore, the individuals in those churches are unique, just as you are unique.

This may seem to add another layer of confusion to the Christian walk, but actually it should be seen as adding clarity and opportunity. God has provided a faith with allowances to emphasize things that connects with us the most. If you connect most with a vibrant modern-music service, you can have that. If you connect most with a service filled with formality and ritual, you can have that too.

Remember those things we tend to gravitate to, as mentioned above? We said that taken alone, those things fail to satisfy and eventually become dangerous. Well, with the informed balance of all Scripture, they become personalized and empowering. If the love of others is something you feel very much moved by, then let the balance of Scripture inform you as to how that should be lived out.

The choice to lean one way or another relies on this: You must be able to defend it with Scripture. Our perspectives, whether liberal or conservative, should be the result of our encounter with God and Scripture. We need God to shape us, not for us to shape him and make him fit our lifestyle. You shouldn’t choose different Scriptures, especially those pulled out of context, because it is convenient or because it gives you the most freedom to carry on as you did. You shouldn’t choose it just because everyone else around you thinks you should. It should move you, and God should speak to you through it. Your conscience must affirm that your choice was honest and true to what you believe he is asking of you. You cannot guarantee always making the right choice, but you are expected to make an effort by being informed. And you will be required, as will everyone living, to be honest with him.

As far as our impact on society goes, we have to remember that Christ did not blend in and was not the politicians’ favorite. But Christianity is about being set free from the pressures and expectations of the world and society. Our humanity, by contrast, is prone to wanting to be liked, wanting to be powerful, and wanting to have everything just the way we want it – no matter what God thinks. I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t like this, least of all myself. Even amongst the world we live in, as Christians we are given the freedom to oblige God and follow him, in whichever way that looks for each of us on our individual journeys. A great pastor once said that the full duty of a Christian was to know and to do God’s will. To know and to do.

To sum up, we are not free to pick and choose Scripture. But we can be confused. I frequently am. You can struggle with it as you try to get your mind around God’s truth. I do. You can wonder if you will ever have the strength to truly change. But keep pushing forward. Through struggle, there is triumph and you will see amazing things in your faith.

Eating a Balanced Diet

If you are a new Christian needing some direction or an old Christian needing a new start, here are some quick tips:

1. PRAYER

Prayer is your expression towards and communication with God. You need God’s help to navigate your day-in, day-out development with God, as well as in your Bible study. Prayer is the first stop on your way to understanding God’s character better, God’s will for your life, and learning how to recognize how he is working and present in your life. It is in prayer where you will probably feel the closest to God. The bulk of your character development and personal relationship with him will probably come from your times in prayer. You will feel something spiritual subtly working and growing in you. You will connect with God (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit). When you pray, be real. Be honest in your prayers and take your time. Go to God often with whatever concerns or admirations you may have. God loves to hear from you and interact with you, and he has all the time in the world for you, literally. He will help you understand the Bible more fully.

2. READING THE BIBLE

Go to a Christian bookstore or the Christian section of your local bookstore and spend some time reading the various Bible translations available. The NIV (New International Version), ESV (English Standard Version), and NASB (New American Standard Bible) are a few that plenty of scholars have reviewed and approved. I would recommend starting with reading the Gospels—the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—or starting at the beginning in Genesis.

Eventually, other resources may be useful as well. A popular resource is a study Bible. These Bibles have all kinds of cross referencing and commentary about the Scripture. Sometimes there is more commentary about the Scripture than Scripture on the page. The best thing about a good study Bible is that it really opens your eyes to how deep and integrated the Bible is. It gets the juices flowing, so to speak. However, you should be cautious as well. I stopped using study Bibles when I found that the one I was using was trying to steer me too much.

As you develop some good study skills, you may find that you refer to commentaries less, seeing others’ comments on Scripture as educated opinions rather than fact. That’s a good thing. When people get together at a Bible study, they should be sharing what they got out of their study, not trying to force each other to see it as they did. You are required to make up your own mind, and take responsibility for your own view.

For that reason, it will be a good idea to start building a library, maybe just a book at a time, of resource books that you can go to when you want more information about the terms used in Scripture, the context of the various books, and the history of the Bible and the Church. The New Bible Commentary and New Bible Dictionary are great single volume resources, and there are many more.

3. GETTING INVOLVED IN A CHURCH

The Christian life is about prayer, the scripture of the Bible, and God’s church of believers. All three of these things work together. If you are on a college campus, there should be representatives from some good Christian organizations, such as Campus Crusade for Christ or The Navigators, close by. They can guide you to a reputable church in the area. Even still, you may have to try out three or four churches. Spend a month of Sundays and see what’s out there. But pick one. Don’t church hop. God wants you to sit still and settle in; this church is going to become your community. If you’re moving around, you will never become integrated into the body, Christ’s body, which is his church.

One last word on this: don’t be surprised if you find that some Christians rub you the wrong way. But don’t be disheartened; the Holy Spirit which is in all of us is far more important than our differences. And, frankly, when you get tuned in to how God works through his church, you will find that those differences are more interesting than annoying.

Don’t feel overwhelmed! You cannot fail here as long as you remain truthful and committed to Christ.