For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.

God’s Word is Settled and Doesn’t Need to be Made More Palatable for the Sinner

These days, much of my time has been spent away from social media. Mostly because the pride of life thrives there, taking hold of the heart: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1 John 2:16

I’ve reflected on being peculiar more and more and what it means in the body of Christ. The church, I’ve noticed, leans into the culture and all its fleshly desires more than it follows the word of God. It appears the doctrine of scripture is no longer a doctrine in some churches but rather a buffet of goodies that are to be cherry-picked and disposed of at whim. Today, holding to the authority of scripture is so unpopular that when we see someone who does, they are indeed peculiar to our eyes.

Daniel served a king who had a wicked way with his people. But Daniel didn’t blend in with the pagan religion that oppressed him, nor did he give in a little. He stood apart, separate, despite the cost.

Christians today blend into the culture—not because we’re oppressed by a governing pagan power, but because we elect to. We have liberty in Christ in the USA, but some of us sell out even when we aren’t under any type of coercion.

Why then do we (who proclaim Christ) water-down His word and what it says to us about us—and more importantly, what it says to us about our Father? We claim to know Him, but He’s been reduced to an apparition that surfaces only on holidays or when we feel our way through His will. This is not the gospel.

Christians today blend into the culture—not because we’re oppressed by a governing pagan power, but because we elect to. We have liberty in Christ in the USA, but some of us sell out even when we aren’t under any type of coercion.

We’re in a biblically illiterate generation which no longer stands for truth, which doesn’t “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

Because we’re so preoccupied with keeping a pulse on the culture and whether it’s inclusive of all people, we’ve managed to leave the truth on the altar of mercy. We grieve (and rightly so) when conferences are not fully representing the people of God and the testimonies they have of Christ, yet we won’t declare the totality of scripture, won’t preach Christ crucified, won’t call out sin, and won’t bear witness of the whole counsel of God.

It’s impossible to proclaim Christ, yet deny His truth, for He is truth, embodied and made flesh, and His word is “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

As such, His word needs to settle in our mind and heart. It doesn’t need to be made more palatable for the sinner, nor does it need to tickle the ears of the casual hearer.