What's the Fix?
Return to God
Not sure what to think? Do you feel like the floor just gave out below you or are you being confident in your thinking that none of this matters? If the latter, please just stop reading and return to what you were doing before, sorry for the interruption. But if you feel a pain in your gut, chances are a nerve was hit. I’m not saying you’re not a Christian, as there is only one criterion for salvation and that is having faith in Jesus that when you die He will claim you as His own (see John 3:36; 10:27-30; 11:25-26). But if you feel something is missing, like the presence of the Holy Spirit, it’s time to pray! You certainly do not want to be a pseudo-Christian like what Jesus described in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ “ I really can’t think of a more frightening scenario, as it would be too late to change!
To return to God may require some diligent review and humble self-examination, but don’t worry you won’t be alone. God wants and loves you more than you can imagine, the Holy Spirit will call your attention to any and all barriers in your life that is causing the bend. Then you can correct your vector back to Jesus and only Him. Don’t let a day go by without spending quality time with Him and in studying His Word, the Bible.
Paul would undoubtedly remind us of the words of encouragement and the need for unity he wrote in his epistle to the church in Philippi, “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:1-5, ESV).
Closing Comment
I can't help but think about one of the rally cries of the Protestant Reformation, "Sola Scriptura," a Latin phrase that meant only Scripture alone is authoritative for the faith and practice of Christians. That the Bible is complete, authoritative, and true, as “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16, ESV). Perhaps we need another reformation!
If you are interested in learning more about how Christianity has been misled, I recently came across a great book titled “Stockholm Syndrome Christianity,” by John G. West. The sub-title says it all, “Why America’s Christian Leaders are Failing — and What We Can Do About It.”