Relativism is the belief that all criteria of judgement are subject to the individuals and situations involved. In relativism, what is “true” for you may not be “true” for me, what was “wrong” yesterday maybe “right” today . . .
A number of ministries are offering Christianity as if they were the old advertisers for Outback Steakhouse: “No Rules, just right,” or, better yet, promoters for the many outlets dedicated to personal indulgence: “MY rules, just right.”
The world is consumed by “self” and Christian outreach hasn’t proven immune to this trend. In order to make ministry relevant in today’s culture, some are willing to adjust the meaning of scriptures that might irritate the target audience.
The spirit of this world tells people the Bible is little more than a collection of myths, laws, and cultural statements. . . . So, hoping to avoid arguments over such things, ministries are willing to bypass or redefine certain scripture verses or even to set most of the Bible aside. After all, Jesus boiled it down to just two commandments, didn’t He?
Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." [NIV]
Since we have these two commandments, what do we need the rest of the Bible (a.k.a. “the Rule Book”) for anymore? We can just love people. Love them “where they’re at.” No more imposing standards. No more legalistic demands or ethical dilemmas. No talk of Hell or judgement or sin. Just love. After all, expounding on greed, coveting, honesty, sexuality and such—well, it tends to turn people off. We’ll let the Lord be in charge of telling them how to live. We’ll just love them.
The problem is, given the point of view that everything is relative (even the concepts of truth, love, and God) many people in such fellowships don’t know who God is, or HOW He expects them to “love.”
Through the cross of Jesus Christ alone we have forgiveness and open access to God the Father. If Jesus Christ isn’t leading us, if He is not central to our teaching, worship, and walk, we have lost everything. In the rush to “just love” people, some are making acceptance and fellowship the central issues. It’s a subtle shift--one that can even seem God-inspired, but it’s something that gets further off course as time goes along.
To begin with, the leaders of such movements become absorbed in pleasing people, not necessarily God. Once “the will of the people” becomes the issue, it’s a downhill slide.
Secondly, those who “find God” in such an environment are given the lasting impression that it’s all about them, their issues, their wants, and needs. At best they are high-maintenance, low impact Christians. At worst, they are lost individuals who think they can worship a god they don’t really know in any manner they please. They’ve been allowed to settle for making this god the champion of whatever they find important instead of surrendering all they have to Jesus and letting Him lead the way.
This might be a comfortable way to have a meeting, but Christianity is about a relationship with GOD. A God who doesn’t change to suit our whims.
Answers to problems may change as situations change but God, His character, what He will and won’t accept, His hopes for us, His plans--these things remain the same.
Hebrews 6:17-18 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. [NIV]
James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. [NIV]
God is not the great enabler.
I’ve known people who got saved while completely strung out on drugs. So should we start the Church of the Stoner Experience? How about the First Church of Diving off the Edge for people who want to meet Him in a suicide attempt? How about the Church of Unhindered Love for people who want to win converts through sexual encounters?
God may meet you in the middle of something VERY dark and ugly but that doesn’t mean He wants you to stay there or to use sin to win others to Christ.
God is not clay to be molded to our own desires.
Some people use select Bible verses to say we should all be rich, we should all be healed, or we can live like the world and do what we please. This is no more true than to say that God is telling us we should all be poor, or single, or missionaries to far away lands. God can meet us wherever we are, but after that, He wants to journey with us in such a way as to bring each one the greatest joy and reward in eternity. The Lord offers no guarantee of a comfy, unchallenged time on this planet.
There was a group of people mentioned in the Bible who were experts at manipulating words to get or do what they wanted and justify it. They would work at stretching the outermost boundary of a word or defining a term in such a way as to provide clever loopholes for their sins. The gymnastics they could do with words were nothing short of remarkable. These men were called Pharisees--and Jesus compared them to filthy rags.
Today there are people who redefine terms in order to condone things God hates. Others can forge huge doctrines with the possible definition of a single word or verse. Both of these groups are following in the tradition of the Pharisees and, in the end, they will not be held guiltless. God is not our intern (someone who needs to learn from us and/or do our bidding).
How would you feel if your best friend or your daughter or your wife ignored you for years, then called you because they really really really needed you to do something (otherwise they wouldn’t “bother” you)? How about if they called every day but, as soon as you picked up the phone, the other person started with “You’re my best friend ever, I’m so glad I have you,” then went directly to requests or demands, then finished up with “Yep. There’s nobody as cool as you are. Goodbye.” No place for an answer, no advice wanted, no soul-searching, no silence . . . no wisdom required--just give me what I want or do what I think is best, thanks, see you later. What if there was no greeting and no thanks, just a list what they wanted/needed and then they hung up?
What do you do with your friends, with the ones you truly love? Do you just pop them a Christmas card once a year? Do you call them up only to tell them what you wanted and hang up? No! You eat with them, you take walks together, you play games, you hang out together. You text message or talk with close family members all the time. You don’t just talk, you listen to them, you share LIFE with them. A good friend encourages you, gives you advice, and will warn you away from costly mistakes. God wants nothing less than that. He doesn’t just want a few hours of your time for “church” or to merely hear your list of requests over and over and over.
How often are you aware of the Lord’s presence? How often do you acknowledge it? When was the last time you asked Him to decide something and were willing to let Him lead you to HIS solution? When was the last time you read the Bible simply to see His heart, to know Him better?
Every person who would seek to know God must come to the understanding that the Bible (and any other document) can be made to say ANYTHING if we are allowed to cut and paste bits of it together. Every person who would seek to know God must do it with a sincere heart to know HIM. If everything has to be on your terms or suit your desires, then you will never truly know Him.
GOD is The Truth and you have to want to know Truth in your situation more than you want the convenience of a lie or a comfortable distortion. He is The Light but you have to want light more than you want to hide in darkness. He is Love, but His kind of love forsook everything for the one beloved. His love is relentless, fearless, and honest. Are you ready to experience and give that kind of love? If you are, then tell Him so! He’s willing to meet you wherever you are . . . but from there He wants to lead you to a better place.
Feel free to copy and share this article as long as you keep it in its entirety along with the copyright notices and you don’t use it for commercial purposes or as part of a commercial work.
