Faulty Foundations

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold,

Yea, than much fine gold;

Sweeter than honey and the honeycomb,

Moreover by them Your servant is warned,

And in keeping them there is great reward.

-Psalm 19:7-11

Recently I discussed the subject of grace with a “liberal christian.”  His understanding of the grace of God contrasted my own throughout our discourse.  We lacked common ground.  Our definitions differed and our foundations conflicted.  Our discussion left me with a question.  Can one fully understand God’s amazing grace outside the bounds of God’s Word?   God’s grace is first defined in God’s Word.  Can it then be defined differently outside the confines of the Bible?  In other words, if something is first introduced in one place with one foundation, can someone change that definition into something completely different based on the foundation of man’s limited understanding?

This changing of definitions is happening with more concepts than God’s grace alone.  Many Biblical truths have been given explanations that fall outside the descriptions given in God’s Word.  Changing a definition makes it easier to shape concepts into what we want them to be rather than what they are as revealed by Scripture.  However, we cannot base God’s truths on our own understanding because these truths did not originate with us.  They originated with God.  Therefore He has the privilege of defining them.

I am reminded of a point made by Ravi Zacharias.  When King Josiah ordered that repairs to the temple begin, the priests found something that had been lost, the Book of Law.  Imagine, the Book of Law was lost in the very place that it was to be kept, read and remembered.  Is this happening in our churches today?  Have we “lost” God’s Word in an attempt to make His truths more palatable to our tastes?  In an effort to change beliefs into our image of what is right, we place ourselves on a faulty foundation of miry clay from which we must be rescued.

When King Josiah heard the Words of the Law read, he tore his clothes; “for great is the wrath of the Lord that is aroused against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”  This is our standard.  We must “find” God’s Word again.  We must read it with renewed interest and grieve for our failure to follow it completely.  We must cry out to God for a correct understanding of the truths He has given us in His Word.  Only then can He set our feet upon a rock and establish our steps in the right direction.  Only then can we truly rejoice and be glad.