Back in my younger days, my first experience with a computer was while working at Brown’s Computer Service in Wooster, Ohio. We were a small bookkeeping service that used a small IBM 5100 personal computer to perform much of our clientele’s bookkeeping. For you computer geeks out there, it had a whopping 16 K RAM, a 1.9 Mhz processor and used 204 Kbyte data cartridges to archive its data. She was a beaut! You can take a look at this baby by clicking the following link: http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/pc/pc_2.html
Ever since my experiences with that first computer, I have been amazed at what computers can do. I love working with them; they are an indispensable tool for me as I work on both accounting and teaching tasks.
But, in today’s world, there is another type of “pc” that is harmful to my work as a teacher of God’s Word. This “pc” is the politically correct attitude of today’s society. Somehow, we have gotten to the point in our society where no one can speak the truth, if the truth happens to hurt someone’s feelings or rightfully, reveals error in a person’s beliefs, thoughts, or actions. We can no longer call sin - sin.
To present Christ as the ONLY Savior of the world is looked upon as a horrible thing to say…. Why? In a politically correct society, it excludes those who hold to another way of salvation and exclusion is a no no. It’s enough to make you sick. Today’s pc society is content to sit back and watch entire societies condemned to hell; just so no one would be offended, or proclaimed guilty.
But was our Lord (the sinlessly Perfect One) politically correct as He walked this earth? Let’s see what we can find in our study today….
THE SCRIPTURE:
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation….Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. (Mat 23:13-36)
THE STUDY:
In answer to the preceding question “But was our Lord (the sinlessly Perfect One) politically correct as He walked this earth?´ I’ll let the above verses speak for themselves. Please notice the following basic principles the Lord repeatedly proclaimed (please have a Bible in hand and read Mat 23:13-36 as you go down through the list):
They were under impending judgment - “Woe unto you” - vs 13, 14, 15, 16, 23, 25, 27, 29
They were hypocrites – vs 13, 14, 15, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29
They were presenting a false gospel message – vs 13, 15
They took advantage of their followers – vs 14
They were spiritually blind – vs 16, 17, 19, 24, 26
They had misplaced priorities – vs 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24
They were foolish – vs 17, 19
They were sinful within – vs 25, 27, 28
They lied with their mouths – vs 30
They would be guilty of martyrdom/murder – vs 31-32, 34, 37
They were harmful, deadly to others – vs 33
They were destined for hell – vs 33, 35-36,
They rejected the love and invitations of God – vs 37-38
They have been rejected by God and now reprobate – vs 39
Can you imagine publicly declaring these things about the false teachers and religions today? Our pc society wouldn’t like it that is for sure. It would probably get down right ugly.
But, these things do need to be said, in love, to those opposing the truth; both as a warning to the false teachers, and as a warning to their followers.
THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
As Christians, as hard as it may be to go against a pc society, we have a responsibility to loving, kindly, and patiently warn and admonish those who are involved in a false gospel. Their spiritual life depends on it.
“And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. “(2Ti 2:24-26)
For those who are not saved, and perhaps holding to false teachings please keep in mind some important principles….
1 – The Bible is explicit in the teaching that salvation is through Christ and Him alone. No other person, nor can our works, can save us. Acts 4:10-12
2 - You must reconcile in your own mind where truth is found. Again, the declarations of the Bible, the many scientific discoveries that support God’s Word, and the changed lives of millions of people gives ample evidence that the Bible truly is the ONLY container of God’s words. It is the ONLY sure source of spiritual life and revelation from God.
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.(Joh 6:63)
If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.
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May the Lord bless your study of His Word.
Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”
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