I can remember my first circus
trip and the excitement together with the amazing smells of the candy floss
stalls mixing with those of big animals I had never seen before. Elephants and
lions, funny clowns and brightly coloured ladies. One thing I was not prepared
for were the trapeze artists high in the canopy walking tightropes and hurling
themselves between swinging bars. It thrilled my childish heart.
I don’t think I have witnessed
greater aerial displays until these past years and months reading Christian
articles on key biblical doctrine with leaders swinging on a strong hermeneutical
principle suddenly launching themselves across a yawning chasm to miraculously
end on the opposite side. So called Gay marriage, Evolution, Propitiation,
heaven and hell to name but a few. Doctrine seen as some dinosaur, and those
who peddle its wares as elephants attempting to cross the hire wire to the boos
and ridicule of the media and sometimes the faithful. We live in the age of
soundbites, tweets, and caricature which does not allow time for genuine dialogue
and serious biblical exegesis. Our
churches are emptying and biblical exposition handed to the clowns or jugglers
more interested to entertain than challenge.
So our society crumbles, the
solid walls of marriage are cracking, the doors of privacy and intimacy wrenched
from their hinges, and windows that allow God's light to enter are boarded up
in the guise of political correctness, and people ask where will it all end? I
believe it is to apostolic doctrine we must return to understand the true
nature of our problems i.e. the foundations. Psalm 11 v 3, "when the
foundations are being destroyed what can the righteous do?" The very beginning
of every building and that which is hidden to human eye and costly to procure -
foundations.
In the beginning God, (Gen 1:1),
in the beginning was the Word (John 1 v 1), sin entered the world through one
man (Rom 5 v 12), Adam was formed first then Eve (1 Tim 2 v 13), after He had
provided purification for sins, He sat down (Hebrews 1 v 3)! The atonement with
Christ the cornerstone, an immovable huge rock that trips us, stumbles all
human pride and on which we either reject or build and shape our lives. We must
get back to our roots, back to biblical beginnings, believing every human
problem and evil is at root a theological issue. Genesis the book of beginnings
trusted and built upon. The atonement, justification, and propitiation are doctrines
to believe and kneel before rather than swing from the high bar of the latest
circus and wow crowds in a triple hermeneutical somersault!
I am longing for a generation
that will say enough is enough, the Emperor has no clothes, for preachers who
will begin with this age old foundation and cornerstone to build glorious
churches with leaders who will turn from the fickle circus crowds approval and
show themselves work men (and women) who do not need to be ashamed and who
correctly handle the word of truth.
