Apologetics

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Back when I could drink a glass of soda I always ordered it with very little or no ice. I had learned, from working in food service, a few things about fountain drinks. First, the soda comes out of the fountain cold, eliminating the need for ice. Second, after only a short time the ice melts, diluting my crisply sweet soft drink. Third, every time I got a refill the ratio of ice to soda increased dramatically, thereby widening the restaurant’s profit margin. It never occurred to me that these same principles are found in churches, in our attitudes, and in our handling of the Gospel. Only when I began my first search for a home church as an adult did I see the manipulation and maltreatment our precious Savior’s Words receive.

The Gospel is powerful. The testimony of Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection are life altering. The changes a soul must make in response to them are daunting but not impossible. We shouldn’t play the bait-and-switch on those searching for God. If we soften the Bible to seem more tolerant or more inviting we are lying. How are we nurturing souls by fooling them into believing they are getting the full glass of God’s rich Word when we are only giving them the parts we think won’t offend or seem easiest to swallow? We can’t teach the Ten Commandments with exception clauses. Idols are wrong, adultery is wrong, stealing is wrong, murder is wrong regardless of noble motivation or unfortunate circumstances. We cannot profess the Bible as inerrant except for these unpleasant parts that talk about rules and discipline and accountability.

One of the worst things I have heard from the pulpit is something I refer to as “The Love Blanket.” Pastors get all heady with righteous indignation about this or that insignificant church issue (who is or isn’t replacing the tissue in the ladies room) in one breath, with the next they are telling us not to point out sin because the God of love doesn’t condemn. The lip service of “The Love Blanket” says that homosexuality might not be the abomination that God says it is because some theoretical scientific study says genetics are the cause. Love is bandied about and draped over anything that might color Christianity as restrictive or requiring self-evaluation and change. “The Love Blanket” cloaks gossip, turns abortion into the best scenario for a teenage mother, transforms lies into fibs. “The Love Blanket” has even disguised false doctrine and false religion as misinterpretations and alternative faiths.

We have given up the cut and dried Word of the Almighty for our own list of exceptions. We could do as some authors do and publish new editions of our Bible every time someone scoffs at the contents. If homosexual marriage becomes legal and teaching against it becomes hate speech will the Body of Christ release a pamphlet instructing believers to black out the book of Leviticus and the first chapter of Romans? If we did, we would be in direct defiance of our Creator. God speaks through Peter regarding this rebellion: 2 Peter 1:20-21, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” The Bible doesn’t need our revision. Who are we to think our way is better than His?

Condescending to seekers and trivializing Scripture is dangerous. The world would like a fast food, good-tasting, no-substance salvation that doesn’t come at a price. The global humanist view is polluting our soda, drowning the full flavor that God Himself imparted. We cannot compromise His Word. It really is that simple. Why, then, do we allow ice to melt on our pulpits watering down the effervescent, delicious ways of God? How will we stand before God’s blindingly white throne and say with good conscience that we told the truth?

What happens when we show up to church one day to find “The Love Blanket” and a watery soda tending our altars? Most of us would do nothing. We would continue to warm our pew complaining to the person next to us or to an elder that change is needed then reach for the offering plate. We need to take back the control of our tithe. The Bible instructs us to give it to the storehouse. That’s a place where we are fed. It should be a place of the real, meaty, fill-up-your-soul Word of God. Complacence only widens the profit margin of those twisting God’s instructions. They line their pockets because we keep asking for refills of that same unsatisfying, pathetic excuse for a God encounter. When we are only getting the gruel of the world served by Satan we should get up from our pew, put our tithe back in our wallet and set out to find a storehouse that serves a soda and the Word, both ice free.

*While this is for sale please pass it on to those you know who might be impacted by it.

(c) Beatrice Scalf 2005

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