The following excerpt was copied from the “American Thinker Blog” for which I believe they clearly captured how many “Christians” and many “churches” view God’s Word today. They stated, “In America today there is a new fad called ‘Designer Christianity’. Cherry-picked Christian ideology has zero to do with God’s Word and everything to do with the moral relativism that now pervades modern philosophy. It is a pick-and-choose brand of religion where a person selects exactly what they want to believe, misinterprets and takes Scripture out of context, and then labels those who object to that sacrilege as mean-spirited, un-Jesus-like, and anti-Christian. It’s a mentality that says a personal interpretation of Scripture trumps the canon of God’s Word and anything can be justified because God is much bigger than small-minded, fundamentalist-style thinking. Rather than align with truth, designer Christians mistakenly believe that God is eager to conform to public opinion and expectations.”
But should we really be surprised? For centuries, there have been individuals and churches that have cherry-picked and chosen pet verses from Scripture to justify their behavior. Yes, even churches have been just as guilty for taking God’s Word out of context – just to push their own agenda or new fad; which has nothing to do with Christianity. We see it in the music that is sung in the congregation, fables and life stories that are taught instead of Scripture, books that are pushed behind the pulpit, and doctrines / teachings that God’s Word never endorsed – let alone trying to force God’s Word to conform to public opinion and expectation. God stated that His Word is true and every man a liar.
Romans 3:4,
“God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.”
God’s Word also states that we [whether individuals or churches] are to be transformed – not conformed to this world; to be renewed in our mind.
Romans 12:2,
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
God’s Word harmonizes without error – and man has a responsibility to see the harmonization in the Scriptures; and then to believe it, accept it, embrace and live it. For, if an individual or a church chooses otherwise, they will fall back and be broken.
Isaiah 28:13 states,
“But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.”
The apostle Paul stated the following to Timothy.
2 Timothy 4:1-4,
“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
Paul also wrote in 1 Timothy 4:1-5,
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”
You might choose to be a “Designer Christian” or “church”; however, it will be God who will ultimately judge you for your actions. He isn’t swayed by public opinion and expectations – [because] He is GOD.
