Does It Really Matter?

I mentioned in my last post that I am reading Already Compromised. Ken Ham and Greg Hall outline how Christian colleges, universities, and even seminaries are compromising truth in the Christian academic world. In particular, many of these schools are either unclear, or in actual denial about the literal interpretation of God's Word, particularly Genesis.

I grew up in a Christian family. I grew up in church. I became a Christian when I was 8 years old...I didn't just pray a prayer, I KNEW that Jesus was my Savior and that the Holy Spirit lived in me. I was active in my youth group. I went to a "Christian university" and I majored in Christianity. But until I was a married adult, I was never discipled. I knew what I believed, most of the time. I knew lots of information. But I had little understanding of why I believed it. And I fell victim to a lot of misinformation.

As a freshman, sitting in my first Old Testament survey class, I had a professor whom I liked and respected say something like this: "As long as we believe that Jesus lived and died and rose again, it doesn't really matter if the miracles of the Old Testament were real." I don't remember her exact words, but that was the gist of it. I remember sitting there, knowing that this woman was highly educated and respected, and I thought, "Um...well...ok." I don't believe I ever bought into her theory, but I certainly wasn't put off by it, or offended. And I do remembering wondering about the Old Testament. Did all that stuff really happen? Did it matter?

Looking back, I know two things. One, it is a miracle I finished college (and graduate school) with my faith intact. I credit some of that to a friend who consistently spoke truth into my life, some of it to the church I attended for part of my college career, and much of it to the work of the Holy Spirit. And two, YES. It absolutely matters! Every word of Scripture is true, and what we believe about that fact determines how we live our lives and how we train our children.

The Word of God is either completely true, or not true at all. There is no in between. This doesn't require "blind" or mindless faith. There are plenty of academic resources available to confirm a Biblical view of science and history. But to understand this, and to pass it on to our children, requires work on our part. Even in the most well meaning, proactive, Biblically sound churches, our children are not going to get a firm grasp on these concepts. Not because it isn't taught, but because it takes constant, consistent teaching and reteaching. It is a Deuteronomy 6, as you go along the way, kind of teaching.

The bottom line, though, is that our children know what we believe, what they believe, and why. They have to understand why God's Word-ALL of God's Word-is true. If they are taught that any part of it is not true, then they will question it all. If there was no Garden, then was there a stable? If there was no flood, then was there a resurrection? How do you choose what part is true and what part is not true. And really, isn't it easier to believe that the earth was covered by a flood (look at today's news) than to believe that a man rose from the grave after being dead for 3 days?

2 Peter 1:20-25 (New International Version)

20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (New International Version)

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Psalm 119:160 (New International Version)


160 All your words are true;
all your righteous laws are eternal.