I've been told that the S-word with three letters is no longer heard in the pulpits of today's most relevant churches. No, I'm not talking about s-e-x. I'm thinking of s-i-n. The Survey says today's yearning masses are not looking for help with sin. This is the Postmodern world. People in this culture are far more interested in sexual positions than theological ones, right? We have read that the love of money is the root of all evil, but we are firmly convinced that the lack of money is the Mother of All Meltdowns. So Today's Church has set aside the discussion of sin in favor of discussing "real human need."
Meanwhile, CNN and Fox are talking about sin 24/7. Everywhere you turn, headlines are answering the question, Do people still need God? You don't have to be a breaking news junkie to know about the famous golfer whose secret life shocked the world; or the VP candidate who was having a torrid affair on the campaign trail while his wife was in treatment for cancer. And don't forget the couple who lied to sneak past White House Security. And what about all those bankers who begged for tax payer assistance and still continued to pay out mega-millions in bonuses while living on the dole! Have you heard the latest on the guy who not only murdered his fourth wife, but apparently poisoned his second wife, as well?
There's an elephant in this room that some people are unwilling to mention. There's a question that our favorite celebrities are are answering, but our favorite churches won't ask. Here it is: "Why do intelligent people do such horrendously destructive things?"
My Life Group meets at my house on Friday nights. This last week-end brought us to Romans 6 where Paul talks about the fact that some people are slaves to sin and others are slaves to righteousness. Some in our group had never thought about the idea that we are literally out of control when we succumb to temptation. But in fact, the victim makes the first choice, and the bondage makes all the subsequent ones. Freedom is usually the first thing to go.
You get the feeling that church people think Sin is like polio: "It used to be deadly, but we conquered it more than a generation ago, so it's time to move on." But TV news tells a different story every morning. Sin involves so much more than a few vices like alcohol or prostitutes or drugs. It is rooted in pride, greed, the lust for things, the resentment of others, the unwillingness to forgive. And it's the true designer drug: it hooks every person in a slightly different, very personal way. It is always evolving. That's why it's so prevalent- so deadly.
Americans still need Jesus Christ because wealth,education and prescription drugs cannot remedy the greatest ill in all of life. A bank can give me a loan. A corporation can offer me a scholarship. And a hospital can give me a pill. But only Jesus Christ can deposit complete, unlimited righteousness into my reeling, bankrupt heart, and give me the power to live a life that satisfies my soul.
No comments:
Post a Comment