Everyone Wants To Believe Their Faith Is Okay

When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?” “I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied. “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?” They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask us why we didn’t believe John. But if we say it was merely human, we’ll be mobbed because the people believe John was a prophet.” So they finally replied, “We don’t know.” And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things. [Matthew 21.23-27] 

Religion is no different now than religion was in Jesus' day: it sidesteps God's Word to "save face." Everyone wants to believe their faith is okay - including religious leaders.

The leading priests and elders mentioned in Matthew 21 above were not so concerned with what God's Word had said about the voice of one crying in the wilderness (Isaiah 40.3) and his call to a baptism of repentance. Instead, they were more concerned that they did not speak against John for fear of losing control of the people. They would not admit their own need for repentance and yet they would not decry John either. Religion, in this way, "rides the fence."

Modern religion is no different than what Jesus faced in this account from Matthew 21.

There are two basic schools of thought that make up the religious world today: 1) those who claim miracles are for today, and 2) those who claim miracles are not for today. Both sides of this issue are as ridiculously hypocritical as the leading priests and elders Jesus encountered.

First, those who claim miracles are for today make a huge fuss about "standing in faith." But when it comes down to circumstances that are not solved miraculously, they eventually line up at the doors of the industries of man (finance, insurance, medicine and technology) just like everyone else. When hardship, suffering, or death are on the line, faith goes out the window.

Secondly, those who claim miracles are not for today insist that God allows circumstances of sickness, disease, poverty and the likes as a way for those experiencing them to "grow." But, what do those who experience these circumstances do? They immediately go to the same doors of the industries of man... again, just like everyone else, to remedy that which "their faith" insists is an opportunity for spiritual growth. And again, when hardship, suffering, or death are on the line, faith goes out the window.

Of these two basic schools of thought, neither stands by their "faith" when it comes down to it. Both eventually or immediately bow to man-made idol industries having neither a testimony of faith to live or a testimony of faith to die (Hebrews 11 - all of it). And then they wonder why people become so disillusioned with "the Church." When they are finally questioned (as Jesus questioned the religious leaders in Matthew 21.23-27) they all eventually reply, "we don't know."

The religious leaders Jesus encountered didn't know the answer to His question because they did not know God - they had His Word, but they did not apply it. When it came down to putting God's Word to practice, they deceptively said, "we don't know." Instead of repenting (as John demanded - and as was prophesied) they resisted. However, they refused to go on record against John because they didn't want to lose their power over the people. "We don't know" they said, because they just needed people to keep coming to church. It's no wonder Jesus called them hypocrites and a brood of snakes.

The same religious, hypocritical, brood of snakes today (directly or indirectly) sends people to the idol industries of man because they do not want to commit to the faith they claim to have (whether faith to live or faith to die) - ultimately, neither stands by the "faith" they promote.

The Word of God gives every believer the right (the authority) to live by their faith or to die by their faith. But God's Word NEVER authorizes man to "take care of himself" by turning to idols he made for himself. When faced with the truth of God's Word, the religious leaders Jesus faced off with sheepishly lied, "We don't know." When faced with the truth of God's Word, the religious leaders of our day sheepishly lie, "We don't know" because "to know" would indict their so-called faith (whether to live or to die).

Everything Jesus' life and ministry teaches us is concisely stated in the following:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

Yes, everyone wants to believe their faith is okay, but is it?

Father, the truth of Your Word is that You demand that we trust in You without aid of idols. May we be found giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus. So be it.

Is God Honored In Our Lives?

For my people are determined to desert me. They call me the Most High, but they don’t truly honor me. [Hosea 11.7] 

The entire context of Hosea is idolatry. 

Hosea's accusation here is prophetic of today's Church. We laud God as "our everything," but turn to our idols for every solution. The most common idols we turn to are debt, insurance, medicine and technology.

The "work-around" that justifies our idolatry is to acknowledge God. We call Him God, but trust our idols to do His work in us. We go so far in this our depravity as to believe God gave us those idols. And then, we have the audacity to really think we are honoring God. Well, Hosea blows that fallacy out of the water. It is a sick religion that calls God "God" but trusts in idols to do God's work in us. How does that honor God? It doesn't.

Because faith is the only thing that pleases God, Hebrews 11 gives us a vivid picture of what trusting God looks like. Trusting God is honoring God. The largest portion of Hebrews 11 speaks of supernatural miracles by which God was honored in the lives of genuine believers. But the last part of Hebrews 11 is where most Christians "choke"...

...But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. [Hebrews 11.35]

Honoring God is refusing to turn from God. The litmus test that determines if we truly honor God or not is this: get rid of anything suspect as an idol and see if God can still provide what that idol would have provided otherwise.

No? Not willing to open that door? 

The apostle Paul clearly instructed the believers in Corinth to examine themselves for genuine faith:

Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. [2 Corinthians 13.5]

There is no way to examine for genuine faith unless we remove every other contributor but God. This may require "taking up our cross..."

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. [1 Peter 1.6-7]

No, this does not mean God wants us to suffer... But it does mean He wants ALL the glory and honor ...and He won't get it if we resort to self-preservation (which, by the way, is everything debt, insurance, medicine and technology accomplish). Resurrection power comes only after "the cross." Jesus demonstrated it - and Jesus demanded it:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

Father, Your Word is true. You are God. May genuine believers honor You the way the Bible says You are honored. May genuine faith be found among Your people as they intentionally rid themselves of idols to reveal Your power, honoring You. So be it.

The Opposite Of Obedience To God Is Idolatry

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart. [2 Chronicles 7.14-16] 

Nearly everyone in Christendom is familiar with verse 14 from the passage above. Just about everyone knows what it is to obey the LORD. However, 2 Chronicles 7 also clearly defines what it is to disobey the LORD.

“But if you or your descendants abandon me and disobey the decrees and commands I have given you, and if you serve and worship other gods, then I will uproot the people from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor my name. I will make it an object of mockery and ridicule among the nations. And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’ [2 Chronicles 7.19-21]

The opposite of obedience to God is idolatry.

The tragic consequence of idolatry is rejection by God (withdrawal of His power and protection yielding every hardship known to man). However, before going further, the question above ‘Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’  must be answered:

“And the answer will be, ‘Because his people abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead and bowed down to them. That is why he has brought all these disasters on them.’” [2 Chronicles 7.22] 

And yet the Church today has the audacity to try to explain "why bad things happen to good people" with all manner of religious baloney instead of acknowledging what the Bible clearly says. 

The opposite of obedience to God is idolatry!

The more I write about idolatry, the more I find that people simply do not want to hear it. People do not want to admit just how idolatrous today's society really is, and NO ONE even wants to see just how infected the Church is with this deadly disease. But, God's Word is true and every man a liar. There is a reason the Bible undeniably addresses idolatry over and over and over and, yes, over again: 

The opposite of obedience to God is idolatry!

And then, there are those who attempt to write off the Old Testament by making 'thankful' statements that, as believers in Jesus (New Testament), "we have grace."

Let us be very clear about grace...

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. [Ephesians 2.8-9]

Those thankful for grace are quick to point out that salvation is not the result of the good things we have done.  But! That is NOT everything Paul says in Ephesians 2 above! Paul said that "good things we have done" ("works" in many translations) do not earn grace, but Paul also stated that God saved people "when you believed." FAITH is the absolutely necessary and non-negotiable act of obedience required to obtain grace.

Even though Jesus repeatedly scolded His followers for not "believing" and obtaining miraculous results, the writer of Hebrews 11 defined faith quite eloquently in people both living and dying by faith. What are living and dying if not something we do? What's more, Jesus Christ Himself spoke to this issue of living or dying:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)] 

In living, a follower of Jesus is to intentionally and obediently give up his own way. Man's own way is the way of his own ingenuity and industry - his idols.

In dying, a follower of Jesus is to intentionally and obediently take up his cross. His cross is the death and destruction that idols threaten will occur if indeed man's ways are given up. Hebrews 11.35b addresses it precisely:

But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. [Hebrews 11.35b]

A very popular quote from Jesus speaks directly to this fear tactic of idols regarding death and destruction:

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. [Matthew 6.33]

True Christians then are without excuse when it comes to trusting in anything other than God. But religion comes to their rescue! Religion comes, as an idol itself, with all manner of soothing explanations and religious mumbo-jumbo - cheap "grace." This cheap grace effectively excuses man for his gross idolatry allowing him to remain proud and even arrogant that his faith has secured grace even though his alleged faith and the grace he allegedly receives look nothing like the Bible says. Biblical faith moves mountains, heals the sick and raises the dead - all of which ARE evidence of distinctly Jesus-like, Biblical grace that is redemption from every curse (Deuteronomy 28.15-68).

Oh, to be sure, it is complicated. But it is only complicated to the same extent that we are idolatrous. Following Jesus is only complicated to the same extent that we desire to retain our own ways and refuse to take up our own cross. Otherwise, following Jesus is as simple as dying - the very thing idols encourage us to avoid literally at any cost (consider the costs of debt, insurance, medicine and technology)!

The Bible is not "going away" on the topic of idolatry. A true believer's daily goal should be to give up every man-made way of self-preservation with zero fear of consequence or death IN ORDER TO trust in, and follow Jesus ALONE, bringing the Kingdom of God to others as it was brought to him!

Father, help us to see and hear the Truth of Your Word today regarding our idols and the deadly outcome of trusting and worshiping them. May we be found giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus - ALONE. So be it.