How can this be reconciled?

Q: There are many churches today that claim that portions of the Bible are no longer relevant. It is staggering to see how many people are buying into this theory while calling themselves Christians. How can this be reconciled? – P.H.

A: Many people who call themselves Christians actually doubt the authority of the Scriptures, believing in a god of their own imagination. Jesus Christ has been robbed of His deity. There are prominent preachers that suggest large passages of God’s Word be eliminated. Beware! The truth of Jesus the Christ can be a disturbing thought. He did not come the first time to bring peace, though He will return as the Prince of Peace. He came to show mankind our sin against Him. He came to take our place for the penalty of sin. What a Savior!

Scripture warns that multitudes will reject that message, and we see that happening today. There is a cost to being a Christian and the cost for many is too great because they must forsake the lure of materialism and secular pleasure.

In this country, we are engaged in a debate on the separation of church and state. But there is a sense in which Christ cannot be separated from anything that pertains to life, for He “is all and in all” (Colossians 3:11). True Christianity is dependent on a personal relationship with God, not on externals.

No pagan philosophy, no atheistic ideology, no deep sorrow can dislodge the joy of living as a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is big enough to cope with the gigantic social problems of the ages. In himself, man does not have the capacity to do this, but Christ provides all that we need to live in this sin-sick world with victory.

When someone repents of sin and receives Jesus as Savior, he or she receives newness of life – new direction, new strength, and a new dimension of living.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

©2021 Billy Graham Literary Trust. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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