Examine Everything
Posted by: forthrightmag <forthrightmag@...>
http://www.forthright.net
Going straight to the Cross
Take a closer look, says Barry. And, online today,
A. A. Neale is back with a very different
perspective. Check out his article "Thankful for
War" at http://www.forthright.net
Examine Everything
by Barry Newton
As you read scripture, I hope that various scenes
spring to life for you. For me, one of these is
Jeremiah's description of the religious world in
which he was engulfed.
It is sobering to fathom the dynamic in which
Jeremiah lived. Politically, nationalism was on
the rise since a weakened Assyria had provided
Judah with the window of opportunity to assert her
independence. Keeping step with this nationalistic
optimism, the religious authorities had added to
the momentum by their consensus that all was well.
Jeremiah 23:16,17 Theirs was a positive and
reaffirming message to the people, even though the
hearts of the people were calloused in following
their own ways. Jeremiah 23:17 It was as though
the religious leaders were reading each other's
books! Jeremiah 23:30 And from this inbreeding of
ideas they were growing more confident each day
that the vision they portrayed as coming from God
was in fact to be expected from God. Jeremiah
23:26-27, 31-32
Into this wonderfully upbeat celebration marched
Jeremiah wearing the proverbial placard of doom,
"repent, the end is coming." His message was that
of a lone wolf and a social outcast. It was the
kind of message which people today often sneer at.
While each of us wants to believe that we would be
different from all those sheep who blindly
followed the false prophets in Jeremiah's day,
would we be willing to let go of such a positive
outlook, to consider the possibility that the herd
might be wrong, and to honestly examine scripture?
Knowing that the power of group dynamics is so
strong and our desire to empower the status quo
can be so enticing should compel us to carefully
examine even what others might assume to be true.
It would be wonderful if someone were fortunate
enough to be living at a time when the religious
herd was headed down the right path. But what if
it is not? What if the predominant religious ideas
are what Jesus called, "the wide path that leads
to destruction"? Matthew 7:13 It can be hard to
walk down a narrow way especially if this means
you will be traveling mostly alone down a path
that goes against the torrent of books and
attractive ideas which "everybody" assumes to be
true.
What is the message of this article? "Examine
everything carefully; hang onto what is good;
abstain from every form of evil." 1 Thessalonians
5:21-22 The thoughtful spirit of inquiry
characteristic of the Bereans needs to be a part
of each one of our lives. Acts 17:11 The goal is
neither to be out of step with those around us nor
to march in unison with them, but rather above all
else to seek the approval of the Lord by loving
what is true. Failure to order our values in the
proper priority is a recipe for disaster. John
12:42-43; 2 Thessalonians 2:10