Has the Biblical God become unfashionable in today’s society? Does He no longer fit into today’s culture? Has He not been considered to be no longer “politically correct”? I guess that’s the reason one religious group advertised that they taught “the modern view of God”. Others would not be so bold and up-front about it, but would nevertheless make their church-doctrine conform to the world rather than to the word of God. The god they seek to fashion is obviously not the God revealed in Scripture. As idolatry of olden times, modern gods are fashioned after the images of man or of nature. (See Rom. 1:23.)
Modern gods slip into our lives, virtually unnoticed. Material things take precedence in our lives, eventually displacing the spiritual. Others honor the earth or nature as their god, as the theory of evolution displaces God as the explanation for the origin of all things. Others look to government to solve all their problems, and political figures are lauded as modern messiahs. To some degree many emperors, kings, and other rulers fit the description of the “man of sin” who exalts himself “above all that is called God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). In essence, man is prone to fashion gods to his own liking and advantage.
The Bible is plain that there is one God, not devised by man, but “the living God which made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein” (Acts 14:15). Although man is not comfortable with this thought, yet this is the God who will “judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ” (Romans 2:16). He is the one God of both the Old and New Testaments. He may not be the God everybody would like. Some dislike His laws. Some do not wish to answer to anyone for their thoughts and deeds —especially to God, who knows their hearts. Some would prefer a god fashioned around conference tables of denominations and cults rather than the true God whose truth is set forth by inspired apostles and prophets in holy Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17). God does not have to answer to any man or church for what His word declares, but men and churches must answer to Him.
A case in point: A new translation of the Bible is now on the market—the Queen James Version. Some have felt intimidated by Bibles that clearly condemn same-sex sexual relationships, and have taken the liberty to make changes in the Biblical text to allow for this practice. On the Bible is a cross with the rainbow colors of LGBT movement. Amazon states concerning this new “Bible,;;; “a big fabulous Bible”…”a perfect Bible for ceremony, study, sermon, gift-giving, or simply to put on display in the home or Church.” It is also stated: “You can’t change your sexuality, but you can choose Jesus. Now you can choose a Bible, too,” How convenient to know that we can now write our own version of the Bible to fit our fancy, rather than go to the trouble of submitting to Christ’s lordship, and changing our lives.
One thing this world must learn: God does not change with the times. He is “the same God who declared to His people in Malachi 3:6a: “I am the LORD, I change not.” We dare not replace Him with gods of our making, not even “tolerant” gods or “politically correct” gods.
Ronald Bartanen is the preacher at the Arthur (IL) Church of Christ