Page 33 - March 2014 Catalyst

of God. We’ve designed “gods” that work for us, based on our momentary appetites and attractions. Even the “non-religious” box is being checked with unprecedented frequen- cy, up to over 15% percent in 2010 from just 8% percent in 1990. British preacher G. Campbell Morgan summarized our present moment well, even from his early 1900’s vantage point: “When men lose the consciousness of God they do not lose their sense of the need of God; and consequently they substitute the false for the true.”
When it comes to our view of God in to- day’s society almost anything goes. A pleth- ora of Eastern religions are nding their way into the mix of modern-day “spiritual- ity” with increasing in uence. “Allah” is in the news every day in places where Islam was unheard of decades ago. Agnostics still aren’t sure what they believe and are eager to invite you into the ranks of the undecided. Humanists continue to trust in their own shifting, man-centered ideas with resolute passion. e New Age syncretism attracts countless seekers. Atheists are now featured on the best-seller list of books and they have o cially coalesced to poke fun at “less intel- ligent” religious people. Organized religion, often a works-based approach to faith in hopes of tipping the eternal scales in favor of the good deeds over the bad, remains a cul- turally acceptable option for the traditional of mind. A.W. Tozer warns, “Wrong ideas about God are not only the fountain from which the polluted waters of idolatry ow; they are themselves idolatrous. e idolater simply imagines things about God and acts as if they were true.”
resPonding to his divine determination
e God who wants to have a living, inti- mate, and daily relationship with us longs to be discovered by mankind, the object of His love. e grandeur of creation bids us to seek Him. In His loving determina- tion, God went even further than all of the biblical descriptions of truth in His writ- ten revelation. He so wants us to know Him that He entered our world to be
march 2014
seen, heard, and touched. His feet trod the streets of Jerusalem. Drops of His blood fell on the soil at Calvary. “In the begin- ning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” e Gospel of John goes on to say, in chapter one, that we have seen His glory, “glory as of the only begotten from the Father... who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” Jesus is God’s explana- tion of Himself. So, if you want to have a rm foundation of truth upon which to base your life, study Jesus Christ.
Beyond creation, Scripture, and the incar- nate word, believers are empowered for spiritual intimacy by the indwelling truth of the Spirit of God. If I wanted my chil- dren to really understand some truths in life, I would likely do three things: try to explain these truths, endeavor to demon- strate them, and even hire a personal tutor to assure that they are really learning these realities. God, in His perfection, has pro- vided a personal indwelling tutor. e Holy Spirit is the very presence of God, illumin- ing our minds and guiding our hearts to a transformational understanding and appli- cation of who He is.
how Firm a Foundation
is happens only as you commit yourself to the Lordship of Jesus Christ as revealed in the written truth of God. Unless God indwells you, the basis for life decisions will forever be a cracked support of facts and ideas. It will never be an integrated, rm foundation of truth.
God wants you to know Him even more than you want to. When you make that commitment, by His resident power, knowledge, and wisdom, He will teach you about Himself. As you spend time with Him and study about Him, you will grow in your love and understanding of Him. is is how to develop the rm foundation of truth for your life.
Copyright © 2014 Daniel Henderson. All rights reserved.
CityLight.org 33