Coexist?

It is always fascinating to see the bumper stickers on cars.   Usually it does not take long to figure out where their political and social feelings lie. One of my least favorites is the Coexist bumper sticker. It is most often on the cars of liberal progressives who are not actually adherents to any particular religion (I am not kidding someone actually did a study). I am not really offended by the sticker but it is such a testimony to the spiritual and religious ignorance in our country as well as seeming to promote a very wrong and dangerous idea; the idea that all religions are equally valid and lead to “God”.
 
It is a popular myth actually. It seems to stem from a postmodern view that there is no absolute or objective truth in the universe. Or a variation on this theme which is “If there is an absolute truth no one has a monopoly on it, and all paths have some of it, therefore all paths are somewhat right and lead to God. This idea while it feels good in that it does not violate the only sin in our culture “Don’t judge me”, it has some very significant and fatal flaws. And while it would be entertaining to talk about all of the fatal flaws for the sake of space, lets just deal with one. There is only one God, and you are not Him.
 
Oh a person may not think they promoting themselves as God but ultimately that is what they are doing. They are, in their belief, declaring that they are the source of knowledge about the universe and all things spiritual and since they feel that all paths should lead to God, it must be true, therefore they declare it is. Plus hell is mean and they don’t think God would be mean.
 
God is not particularly pleased with people who think they are God. In fact, He says in the very first three commandments that 1. He is the only God. 2. Don’t make gods and worship them (making yourself out to be God would qualify). 3. Don’t miss use His Name (telling lies about who God is would also qualify for this one). Maybe rather than making vacuous and self derived statements about God it would be better to see what he says of Himself and stick to that.
 
Do you know the real God? The God who has revealed Himself in the Bible as Father, Son , and Holy Spirit? Does it really matter if you understand who He has revealed Himself to be? In this weeks sermon we will be talking about the Trinity and how vital it is that we know who the real God is.
 

See you at church,

Pastor Chris