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A Choice of Culture
“The arrogant godless try to throw me off track, ignorant as they are of God and his ways.”
“Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” This simple prayer by Jesus on the cross reveals the compassion He had for those who, through their corruption, were crucifying Him. But how did this corruption come about?
You have heard all the opinions: “Truth is relative”, “truth is what you make it”, and “truth is what you say the truth is”. To me it all seemed quite complicated. But the truth is quite simple.
Jesus is the truth.
”Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
(John 14:1-6, NKJV)
As we embark on our journey into an uncertain future, we must ask ourselves:
Where we are going?
How do we get there?
Any journey requires these questions. It is scary to leave familiar territory and not know where we are headed. Have you ever told your spouse or family to pack their bags because the whole family is heading to places unknown? Don’t you think they would want to know where you were taking them and the means of transportation to get there? Yet, this is exactly what happened as life was thrust upon us. At some point we became self-aware. (My earliest memories were around 4-5 years old.) We learned that we were born into our particular families and at some point learned that our bodies were going to die. But then, in many ways, we were left to figure out the rest. This is what Jesus was explaining to His disciples in John 14. They were obviously struggling with the same kinds of questions that affect all of us.
In response, man has come up with some remarkable answers, resulting in “isms”.
Hinduism
Buddhism
Atheism
Humanism
Satanism
Materialism
And more.
But there is more to figure out. How do we all get along or live together in this life while on our journey in eternity? What is our purpose? Why do we exist?
And is it possible that there is more than one “right” answer to these fundamental questions?
I think we tend to be pretty good at giving our opinions concerning what is right. And with all these opinions flying around, many people are constantly grappling with these mysteries of life without ever coming to a satisfying conclusion.
I am very much like this when I have a problem with my car. If it starts making funny noises or won’t start for some reason, I take a guess at what the problem might be as well as the correct solution. But understanding how a car works is not my strength. On the other hand, my brother has been given the gift of mechanical aptitude. Although he understands how the automobile engine works, an even better source for diagnosing the problem is the authorized dealer who has been trained by the manufacturer. Of course the ultimate and best source for keeping your car in good running condition is consulting with the engineer who designed it. Wouldn’t it be great to live next door to that person?
What if we had access to the Creator of the universe Himself to find out the answers to those fundamental questions of existence and purpose? Well, in fact, we do. He left us a historical record that helps explain who He is, who we are, and actually has answers to our most basic questions. Of course you know it’s the Bible. But there is a problem: While the Bible is the most printed book in civilization, it can sometimes seem confusing. The original text was written in Hebrew and Greek, which had to be translated into all other languages. As a result, many of us have difficulty understanding parts of it on our own because we don’t understand fully the context of the ancient cultures. Some believe it is to be taken quite literally, while others see only allegory and symbolism.
I think God either has a wonderful sense of humor, or He wanted it to be difficult for us to figure out His Word. While I do believe He has a wonderful sense of humor, (after all, he created humor), I also believe He wanted to hide the answers to our questions so that we had to dig, study and get engrossed in His Word to discover the truth. Proverbs 8:17 Says:
”I love those who love me; and those who diligently seek me will find me.
This means He wants to be sought, and He intends to let us find Him.
In Matthew 7:7-11 it states:
”Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?” Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
The problem with seeking God is that it takes time. In Mark 4:24 in the Amplified Version, it says “…the measure of [thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you—and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.”
To truly seek God requires us to set priorities. While it isn’t as true in poorer countries as it is in America, we are bombarded (our adversary is in on some of this) with advertising about so many goods and services that it is easy to lose sight of what is really necessary. I believe Jesus’ concern about this type of distraction is why He said to His disciples that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Rich people have more access to what entices them away from what is eternal. Temporal possessions seem pleasing to us in the short term, but what about the realm of the eternal? Since our spirits are eternal, and since that is the place of God’s dwelling in us, He has offered some benefits and rewards in that realm that will last forever. And yes, you can take them with you!
Recently while I was at a local restaurant, meeting with a friend, I noticed on the breakfast menu so many good things to eat: omelets, pancakes, pastries, eggs, and breakfast sandwiches. In the midst of all this wonderful food, I also saw oatmeal listed there as well. Oatmeal certainly did not appeal to me the way the other items did, but it was probably what was best for me. If I was really hungry and oatmeal was the only thing on the menu, I’m sure I would have been glad to order it.
Likewise, in this age in America, we have a multitude of life options to pursue that are far more diverse than what is offered on a diner’s menu. If you want the truth, you have to seek it. Then, if you are serious about seeking the truth, you have to put a priority on it. The problem is our priorities are out of order. Most people are content with their toys, their sports, their hobbies, their careers, etc. Because we have placed a priority on the temporal, true spirituality has been overrun by materialism and humanism. We have stunning divorce rates (even in the church), broken families, and a divided country. Our culture is polluted with sex, drugs and lawlessness.
Consider these verses in Matthew Chapter 6:19-21:
”Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Matthew 6:19-21, NKJV)
Also Matthew 6:31-33:
”Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear? For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
(Matthew 6:31-33, NKJV)
What is the greatest treasure of heaven? Is it not God Himself? Jesus spoke clearly to his disciples: Our destination is His Fathers’ house (John 14:2). The way to get there is through Jesus. He is not only the way there, He is the ultimate truth revealing God’s house and He is God’s life within us sustaining us on the journey. When we begin to understand where we are going and how to get there, it is really exciting. We think we live in a free country, but that is pure deception; most people are not free. They are bound to their addictions and fantasies because their carnal minds limit their ability to see the eternal destiny awaiting those who love, pursue and live the truth.
Consider the words of scripture in John 8:31-36.
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. “The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
So what is the point here?
Truth is ultimate; it cannot be compromised or watered down. It is not relative, nor does it change according to the circumstance or time. It existed before the beginning of time and it will last for eternity. Truth is intertwined with our destinies.
Both truth and the lie have authors. God (because He is the true Creator) is the author of truth. The devil (he was created, but because of his pride and vanity he wants to be regarded as if he was the Creator) is the author of the lie. Seems simple doesn’t it?
You have a choice. Who are you going to believe and build a relationship with?
“I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.”
They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.”
Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham.” But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. “You are doing the deeds of your father.”
They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.”
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.
In Gen. 3:1-5 we see the first deceptive encounter with the author of evil recorded. But before we get there, let’s see what God said first that stirred Satan’s desire to deceive man.
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
(Gen. 1:26-28, NKJV)
Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
Now the serpent was craftier than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”
The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.”
The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!” For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
God’s truth:
We were made in God’s image and likeness.
We could eat from any tree except “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”, or we would die.
Satan’s lie:
You can eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and you will not die.
God only limited you from that tree to keep you from being like Him. (God already made us like Him).
These scriptures reveal the origin of humanity’s problem. The author of evil challenged the authority of God, humanity accepted the lie, and we have been in trouble ever since. God, the author and creator of life said: “You are made in our image and likeness, and you can eat from any tree except one. You cannot decide on your own what is right and wrong.[20]
Why would God limit us like this? Consider your children. Are they born with an innate knowledge of what is right and wrong? No, you must teach the values that you learned from your parents and they learned from theirs, etc., all the way back to a source.
It is critical that we understand the source of our values. Suppose you were lost in a desert and found two streams of water. One stream came from the mountain top in the form of melted snow. It was clean, refreshing and healthy to drink. As a result, it would keep you alive and well. But the other stream became polluted from harmful chemicals from a nearby factory that you could not see. In fact, it looked as clear and refreshing as the water from the mountaintop. However, as you drank this water, your body began to feel the effects of the pollutants. As a result, you got cancer and eventually died. Do you think it might have been helpful if someone had warned you about those harmful invisible ingredients? God is the ultimate spiritual conservationist. His Word is living water! It must not be polluted in any way.
What God was saying to Adam and Eve was that their relationship with Him was crucial. If they tried to determine right and wrong apart from Him, He would have to sever their relationship. God’s ways cannot be compromised or polluted. As the Creator, he knows how His creation is supposed to work. All of life must be done His way because He knows what is good for us. God likes His Kingdom in order. It is unthinkable that he would allow someone to live in His Kingdom who refused to live His way. He simply will not allow it to happen.
Consider Hebrews 5:12-14:
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
(Hebrews 5:12-14, NKJV)
We learn to walk in righteousness as we learn through practice to distinguish between good and evil from God’s perspective as we walk in relationship with Him.
Satan, on the other hand, told Eve to disregard what God told them. In effect, he called God a liar. But he was the liar. Notice his lie (my paraphrase): You can decide on your own what is good and what is evil. You do not need God. As a matter of fact, if you decide good and evil on your own, you will be like God. But the truth is, if we decide what is good and what is evil apart from God, we make ourselves out to be our own god. This is pride, the sin of man.
These above scriptures are crucial to understand because they reveal the basis of our decline as a society. Adam and Eve believed Satan. They took his lies to be the truth. Today, we are faced with the same decision, only we have more lies to sift through. Even though we are confronted with more lies, the fundamental deception is the same: We do not need to listen to God because we can determine for ourselves what is right and wrong. The world is filled with people claiming to have the answers to life’s questions. In fact, we are bombarded on every front with “self-help” books. But at the root, we have looked to ourselves for answers and in the process, have made ourselves “gods”.
However, God has not changed. He put us on His earth to cultivate it and keep it. He has been clear; we must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Rather, we must go to the Author of life and through practice yield to Him as He trains us to discern good and evil. If we will receive His wisdom, He will enable us to cultivate and keep what He has given us to watch over.
If we want to be involved in His Kingdom, we must do things His way. But in our culture, we have been trained to perceive this required submission as tyrannical. But God is not a tyrant, He is pure love. Dictators and tyrants do not give people the right to choose, but God does. He honors our choices concerning whom we will believe and who we will follow. People don’t mind being governed by one who does so out of a motive of pure love and goodness. One who rules from a heart filled with goodness will not lord it over others. And in God’s case, it is His goodness that leads men to change their behavior. (Rom. 2:4)
Simultaneously with all the lies inundating mankind, God did a marvelous thing and gave us a way out of all the deception. He sent his Son, that whosoever would believe in Him, would not exist eternally in death separated from God (perish), but would have eternal union/relationship with God (Life).
Consider 1 John 1:1-10:
What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life-- and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us--what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.
This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
Here is what those who have been given revelation knowledge of Jesus Christ see and experience:
We experience the life of God. (We have tasted of His divine nature)
We recognize to some degree the destiny we have in God. (We are children of God growing into sons and daughters and are co-heirs with Christ. We have an eternal destiny filled with the treasures and riches of an eternal spiritual kingdom)
We experience fellowship with one another. (We recognize and relationally connect with others who also have been given the revelation knowledge)
We experience the process whereby despite our selfish nature, He works His unselfishness nature (love) into us.
As we become aware of whom God is and as we give our lives to Him relationally, He institutes a process of change. We start to become more and more like Jesus. In fact, we grow over time from spiritual babes to spiritually mature people able to instruct others. In that process, we will make many mistakes. But if we are honest enough to admit our failures, diligently seek Him and are willing to change, He will not hold our shortcomings against us. Miraculously, we go from being unrighteous (before we choose to believe God) to righteous (our God-given condition after we choose to believe Him).
Okay, you have a choice and God will honor it. You can choose to believe Satan, the father of lies. If you choose him, you get to spend eternity with him. You can also choose to believe God, the Author and Creator of life. If you believe Him and practice His truth, you get to spend eternity with Him. So the question remains. Who will you believe and who will you follow? Who do you want to have an eternal relationship with: The Author of Good or the author of evil? Isn’t truth simple?
Because God breathed His Spirit into us, we have been created in His image and likeness. And to help us stay on track, He has given us something marvelous. It is called a conscience. It is the small voice we hear in our spirit when we know we are doing something contrary to the Spirit of God or aligned to the Spirit of God. Somehow, we just know we are doing wrong or right. The word “conscience” is referred to in scripture 28 times. Webster’s Dictionary definition of conscience is the faculty, power or principle within us which decides on the rightness or wrongness of our own actions; the sense of right and wrong; the moral sense. It is important to keep our conscience aligned with God’s ways. Otherwise, we can defile it if we remain in rebellion against God. When it stops working it means big trouble.
So, humanity became rebellious when we became gods unto ourselves. When we separated ourselves from the Creator and decided to exchange His truth for our opinion, we lost our relationship and understanding of who He is and how to live His way. As time progressed our understanding of Him decreased. Such is the nature of a lack of relationship. The further we got in time from the beginning, the less mankind knew about the ultimate source of existence. The result was the loss of true peace among us. Society became so evil over time that God finally destroyed everyone on the planet except Noah and his family. He had had enough and decided to start over.
The foundation of societal corruption is the lack of a personal relationship with the Author of Good, the Creator God, the Architect and Builder of all that is good. Upon such a faulty misconception, corrupt people attempt to govern themselves apart from God.
This brings us to Babylon the Great….
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