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The Way
by Kevin Pauley
You will be righteous, Lord, even if I bring a case against You. Yet, I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? [Why] do the treacherous live at ease? – Jeremiah 12:1 HCSB
Everyone knows that God expects us to be holy. He said, “Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. Remove evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil. Learn to do what is good.”[1] So far, that sounds like pretty standard fare. It’s what our ancestors heard thundering from the pulpits for centuries.
Yet, Elohim went on: “Learn to do what is good. Seek justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause.”[2] Recently, a groundswell of concern for social issues has arisen, but a lot of churches are unfortunately still isolationist in their thinking concerning these matters.
Yahweh was still not done: “Come, let us discuss this, though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they will be like wool.”[3] I don’t know about you, but I never heard anyone talk about a God Who invites discussion and debate and ties a thinking mind to salvation! I grew up conceiving God as the Immovable, Unattainable Voice pronouncing judgment from on high and beware questioners!
The people of Berea were specifically singled out for praise because they welcomed Paul’s message with eagerness, but examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.[4]
Solomon taught that only simpletons believe everything they are told and that the prudent carefully consider their steps.[5] After all, the path before us may seem right, but it might also end in death.[6] Just because someone in a pulpit (or a blog) says “this is the Way” doesn’t necessarily make it so![7]
As we seek to follow God’s precepts of holiness, sanctification, and social justice, we will often be perplexed as to the proper path to take. When we make those judgment calls, we will have to carefully weigh the evidence, distinguishing the bad from the good.[8]
The only way we can do this is to ask questions – good, hard, questions. In Hebrew, the word for religious questions is “shayla”. Paul taught that shayla should be a normal part of our Christian walk; that we should test everything, holding fast to what is good and abstaining from every form of evil.[9]
God is not threatened by our questions. He invites them. He desires a people who choose to love Him of their own free will. Though sovereign, He deliberately made us free agents and one day will ask, “What have you done with the resource I gave you?”[10]
So go ahead. Ask your questions. Challenge the Scriptures. Compare them to the best science has to offer. Cry out to God in your pain and anger. At the end of the day, you will find that there is no wisdom, nor any discernment, nor any counsel in opposition to Jehovah.[11]
Kevin Pauley is a pastor and writer. He lives in Illinois with his wife, Lynn, their five children and two dogs. His internet address is Berea.
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