15th Oct 2012. By Rev Dr Steven Kau –
I recall many years ago, a song made famous by Debbie Boone, “You Light Up My Life.” In the lyrics of that song was this phrase, “How can it be wrong when it feels so right?” She really sum up how people feel today about almost everything. Right and wrong, good and bad is not so clear cut anymore today because it all depends on how we feel about it.
Does it “feel good?” Does it feel “right?” If so, the culture of today says “go for it!” The catch word today is “whatever.” Thus we make “right” what our feelings say it is, rather than what it really is. Somehow we have reached the point in contemporary reasoning that most says that one can pursue his individual dream without having to confront the consequences of bad or wrong choices.
Believe in God or not; receive Christ or not; live morally or not, to those people it is all the same. Do what you want to do, what you feel like doing, what you think is right in doing and God will just set aside His rules to approve of you regardless. Haven’t you heard, this is the 21st century for crying out loud and surely God is not so square as to expect us to follow those old antiquated rules and regulations and so called divine principles now? We got to flow with the times, so says our “enlightened” friends. We confuse civic freedom with divine approval and so long as it is “legal” (and some are not too “picky” about that), it is seen as acceptable.
The question is, “Is our standing with God determined by our feelings or by the rule of divine law?” Is it a matter of God’s will or of ours? Serious consequences follow the reasoning described above:
1. It nullifies the Bible as a defining book. In fact, the Bible becomes largely useless, since it can at any point be superseded by one’s personal feelings. No doubt we value what the Bible says, but it can always be overridden by our feelings. There is no sense of responsibility to conform to its message.
2. It glorifies human wisdom and authority. The highest court of appeal becomes the human mind and thought, rather than the mind of God. If what I feel is right, contradicts what God teaches in His Word, then MY idea is seen as better than His; my authority as greater than His. In so doing, we minimize the greater wisdom and power of an Almighty God. Further, we have the audacity or should I say stupidity to think that that attitude is acceptable to God.
3. It results in anarchy and chaos. Rejecting a common source of authority – the written Word of God – each becomes his own source. There are as many “rights” as there are people to think them up. No wonder our lives are so messed up and the world is so chaotic. Although we identify ourselves as Christians and go to church regularly but our children see us practice a set of values that are anything but Christian. And we wonder why our young people are so confused as to morals and religion. Daily, countless competing human ideas bombard them (and us) with equally justifiable claims to what is “right.” Because of this insanity, someone once denounced that our Christianity is a fraud.
4. It ignores God’s place in our universe. He has defined right from wrong, sin from righteousness, truth from error. Any course conflicting with His “law” exacts terrible penalties.
The truth? The solution to mankind’s problems lie not in human minds but in the unsearchable mind of an all-wise God. Man pride himself that he knows what is good for everyone. He thinks his knowledge, wealth and influence grant him the supreme authority to re-evaluate God’s Word to determine what he is obliged to abide in and what he can without consequence ignore. That is a reasoning of a fool. He should be reminded that he lives in God’s world, we eat His bread and drink His water and breathe His air.
In addition to being ill-equipped by nature and inclination to determine “right,” we belong to Him and are obligated to be obedient. Man’s way never “fixes” anything important, nor moves us one step toward fellowship with God. This may not be the popular line but we are interested in Truth, not compromise and all human objections aside, God’s Word is still true and His way is still the only way, irrespective of how we feel (John 14:6).
(I am indebted to Aubrey Belue for some of the thoughts in this article – Rev Dr Steven Kau)
Rev. Dr. Steven Kau is the pastor of Faith Covenant Church ( FCC ). The church address is at 1-1 Jalan Putra Mahkota 7/5B, 47650 Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, Selangor. Sunday service in English starts at 10 am. His email contact – kausteven@gmail.com
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