KEEPING OUR FAITH SIMPLE

 

 

Of what should a sermon consist? Should it just be a motivational or feel-good message? I don’t deny that there is a place for this kind of sermon. However, if we are being transformed by the renewal of the mind (Romans 12:2), it must go deeper and illuminate new fertile ground. It cannot stop with what feels good — that’s self-centered — it must contain the deeper things of the Word — the meat (Hebrews 5:12-14). It must also cover the entirety of the Bible’s teachings.

 

Jesus declared that we must live according to each of God’s Words (Matthew 4:4). To not do so is to betray our calling, as Paul had confessed:

 

·       “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” (Acts 20:26-27)

 

We cannot stay in the shallow water. If we do, we fail to adequately feed the flock and are accountable.

 

We cannot settle for a “Christianity light.” To illustrate, when I was a young Christian and wasn’t certain about where I should place my trust. I concluded that the safe thing to do was to cover-all-the-bases and to place my trust in both Jesus and my good deeds. However, I later realized that to place my trust in anything in addition to the Savior and His dying for me on the cross would disqualify me:

 

·       I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision [to become a Jew in order to trust in Law-keeping], Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified [or made righteous] by the law; you have fallen away from grace. (Galatians 5:2-4)

 

When we trust anyone in addition to Jesus, we are not truly trusting Jesus but in ourselves or someone else:

 

·       Thus says the LORD: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.” (Jeremiah 17:5-7; Psalm 2:12; 25:2; 34:8; 71:5; 125:1)

 

To trust in our own abilities, strengths, or righteousness represents a failure to trust in God. To trust in anything in addition to our Savior is spiritual adultery. It is as acceptable as having an adulterous relationship. However, we commit spiritual adultery when we place unqualified trust in anyone else.

 

When we don’t go deep enough, we fail to learn this vital lesson and so many others. Each doctrine carries a set of jewels we need for our welfare, joy, and growth.

 

When we are satisfied with keeping-it-simple, we simply miss too much and easily go astray. I had gone astray in many ways by simply thinking that I needed to earn God’s grace. This led to morbid self-preoccupation and, on occasion, to pride, arrogance, and self-righteousness. My faith had lacked stability of melting ice. Therefore, we need teachers who will take us deeper:

 

·       And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (Ephesians 4:11-14)