Does God Care What We Believe?

I recently heard someone say, "It doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you are sincere!" I know that in this world of political correctness, that this sentiment is shared by many, and those that may not agree are loath to comment lest they be thought insensitive. I don't happen to be one of those folks.

I think that this situation would be akin to presenting an astronaut a selection of air tanks containing a variety of gasses that he/she might breathe. If the vessels contained air, cyanide, ammonia, nitrogen and helium, and I had the opportunity to advise said astronaut of which tank that I would draw breath from, without hesitation I would scream, "Air!" In today's world, the only absolute truth that one is allowed, is that there is NO absolute truth. If one should claim that their position is correct, then implicit in that statement is that everyone else is wrong! In an age where there are no absolutes, then sincerity must be the final arbiter of truth. Is that right?

Many ascribe to Jesus an attitude of tolerance. They might say that Jesus ate with sinners and prostitutes, so he must be a tolerant fellow. Is this an accurate representation? The Bible must render its own definitions. The following list contains quotes of Jesus that come directly from scripture:

1) Matthew 10:34-36 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.”

2) Matthew 23:27-28 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

Mark 7:26-27 Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

Do these quotes make you uneasy? Do they sound like they came from the Jesus that you are familiar with? If not, then I want to burst your balloon! Many people like the Jesus that they see depicted on many of the old master's paintings. You know the ones I'm talking about. I'm referring to the beautiful oil paintings of Jesus with the little children at his feet and a dove on his shoulder. Now that's the kind of non-threatening, gentle guy that I'd like to tip my religious hat to! Unfortunately, that guy doesn't exist. Yes, Jesus is the most loving and gentle human being that ever lived, but to believe that's a complete picture of the REAL Jesus would be to err. Jesus was NOT politically correct. In John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Italics mine)

Jesus wouldn't have been very popular today. In fact, his views would have been considered so narrow that he wouldn't have had a chance on a political talk show, either right or left! However, Jesus spoke truth boldly. Not only that, he WAS the truth.

I would like to plead with my readers. If you are sincere in your faith, whatever faith that might be, an if you believe that you have lived a basically "good" life, and you have that assurance that you are going to see Heaven, stop! Please don't breathe the cyanide. A relationship with Jesus is the only way.

Tomorrow I would like to examine John 3:16 and all of its implications with regard to that relationship. (For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, so that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.)

His servant,

D. L. Culiver