"If we do not submit to the truth of the Scriptures and
the reality of God's call on the lives of His people, we will continually be
reconstructing our theology to fit our circumstances and conforming our image
of God to fit our dreams for life and our desires for comfort. (Mills, Bill. The Day of the Lord!:
Preparing to Meet the Bridegroom)*
Take
a moment to process that statement- let it really sink in because the author of
that passage, Bill Mills, is spot-on right.
In
Philippians 3:10-11 Paul writes, "I want to know Christ and the power of
His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like
Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the
dead."
The
first part of verse 10 sounds so good- "to know Christ and the power of
His resurrection". Verse 11 is great- "to attain to the
resurrection of the dead." But it's that part in the middle that we
ignore to our own detriment as disciples- "the fellowship of sharing in
His sufferings".
Modern
American Christianity is often denuded of any real power or influence not because
the world refuses to submit to God and His Word, but because the Church refuses to do so.
A
great number of today's Christians have been fed a steady diet of poor (dare I
say wrong) theology that reduces or ignores the call to suffering. So
when suffering comes, there are only two options: recast one's view of God, or
abandon the Faith entirely.
There
is a third option which Mills lays out: "submit to the truth of the
Scriptures and the reality of God's call on the lives of His people".
If
one calling oneself a christian (small 'c' intended) rejects the Bible as God's
perfect Word, they have no real basis for understanding the world around them.
They
will never have a fixed foundation of belief because they will
"continually be reconstructing [their] theology to fit [their]
circumstances". They will attempt to interpret truth based on
experience rather than the other way round.
They
will never gain a healthy perspective about God because they will forever be
"conforming [their] image of God to fit [their] dreams for life and
[their] desires for comfort." They will craft idols of the mind,
concepts of God that are false and misleading.
Submission
to the Bible is has become socially ridiculous and quite frankly, if you are
reading this and do not claim to be a 'born again Christian' I would not expect
it of you. But if you claim to follow Jesus, yet do not submit to His
Word, I ask you just what you think a 'christian' (again small 'c' intended)
is.
A
Christian (there's the capital 'C'!) is one who has, in faith, recognized and
repented of sin and surrendered themselves to Jesus Christ as revealed in the
Bible. We do not attempt to change our theology based on our experience,
but interpret our experience based on God's Revelation. We do not attempt
to change God to suit our desires or lifestyles, but change those to come into
line with Who He is and what He has called His people to- even if that means
suffering.
I'm
taking God at His Word and look for Him to define my dreams and desires no
matter what that may look like.
How
about you?
Leave a comment below!
Leave a comment below!
*Mills, Bill. The Day of the Lord!: Preparing to Meet the Bridegroom. Leadership
Resources International, 2002. Print page 172
