TAKING A CHANCE ON GOD

By R. Cody Smith

From Footsteps May 1, 2003

Have you ever considered that there is a great and terrible risk involved in trusting God? It is not a question of the trustworthiness of God Himself, but a problem of our own misunderstanding of who He is and what he has actually promised us.

The Israelites were mistakenly awaiting a conquering king who would liberate them from the tyranny of Rome. Considering the circumstances of that time, this was no doubt a very popular belief. In fact they became so self-deceived in this error that they failed to recognize the true Messiah in their very midst.

Things haven't changed much in two thousand years. We still prefer to believe doctrines that pander to our temporal needs and that allow us to stay well within our comfort zones. The sheer proliferation of differing doctrines and traditions is proof in itself that many, if not most--will in the end--prove to be based on wrong understanding. Will your own views on prosperity, or the tribulation (for example) keep you sidetracked from experiencing what God wants to in your life today. 

Well meaning men have made it their business to interpret the Bible for us, often times sugar coating the Gospel to make it more inclusive, more appealing, or more acceptable. Certainly this new gospel is very attractive as witnessed by the swelling ranks of seeker-friendly mega churches today, but is this a gospel we can trust?  

Instead of stirring us to radical Christianity, this whispering of sweet nothings in our ears has only lulled us into a deeper slumber. Many choose to believe that God's only requirement of us is a simple sinners prayer, and some Sunday morning pew time, while carefully ignoring verses like Luke 9:23 where Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me". 

OK, we collect these half-truths that pander to our self-love because they allow us to avoid the reality of sometimes hard Biblical truth. Unfortunately the result is that we become frustrated and disappointed when we don't get what we want from God, simply because we have hoped for things never promised. 

In reality, the only risk we take in trusting God lies in placing our confidence in something other than the truth. If we believe correctly our expectations are realistic and we will not be disappointed, the risk is eliminated, as God is always faithful to His word. 

This is not to say that we don't need teachers, but ultimately the burden of responsibility lies with us individually. When we stand before the throne of God will Jesus be there for us? Will he say, "WELCOME GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT," OR, "EXCUSE ME, I DON'T BELIEVE I KNOW YOU?" 

I want to challenge you today, to quiet your intellect and try to forget everything you think you know about God, as you begin reading through the Gospels anew. Be careful, don't use a commentary, look for a literal understanding of Jesus' words, and don't try to assign value to verses you simply don't understand. Don't get caught up in rationalizations, remember this Gospel has always been foolishness to the carnal mind (1 Corinthians (1:18-25).  

And you have this promise from the very lips of Jesus. "THE COUNSELOR, THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, WILL TEACH YOU ALL THINGS AND WILL REMIND YOU OF EVERYTHING I HAVE SAID TO YOU." (John 15:26)