Truth Or Consequences
By Carl A. Trapani
When faced with difficult decisions we must be careful about whose advice we take – God’s or “The Experts”
There is an alarming trend prevalent among many Christians to deny the need for any kind of religious standards – guidelines principles of conduct. These same folks also deny that God will judge them for disobeying His Word. Yet the Bible declares that God demands holiness and obedience (2 Peter 2:1-22). We all must accept God’s Word as truth, or face the consequences.
There is also an ever-growing number of charismatic Christians who continually denounce and ridicule United Pentecostals for our religious convictions. They assert that we are “under bondage to our man-made standards relating to our life-style and appearance. ” Some of the most vocal among our detractors are former UPC members. They love to taunt our people (especially our women) with the assertions that they are now “free” and “no longer under bondage of man-made regulations.” Interestingly, their new-found liberty takes on strange forms. Although they claim to no longer be under bondage to man-made customs, the women who once left their hair uncut and their faces unpainted, now change their wardrobe, hairdos, and makeup colors every time the fashion world dictates. They haven’t been set free. They have only changed masters! They have forsaken God’s Word and chosen human expertise. The correctness of their choice will be seen one day when they must face the consequences.
Our nation is in a continual contest over what is to be accepted as proper behavior. Those in leadership have established themselves as “experts” and have tried to impose their own values relative to moral conduct and here are the results.
They told us that if we would relax about sex and not get all uptight about it there would be no more sex crimes. So we gave purveyors of filth and nudity a free hand. And the incidence of rape has been climbing each year. So has prostitution. In recent years Public School educators have heavily promoted sex education for our youth without any moral teaching or guidelines. “Just tell them how to do it, tell them how much fun it is, then tell them, Don’t do it until you have carefully considered all the consequences! It’s a decision that you should make very carefully.” And that is why we are now seeing an epidemic of venereal diseases. I out of every 4 sexually active teenagers becomes infected with some type of sexually transmitted disease (STD). Some of these are treatable – but, some like AIDS and Herpes II are not. The life-shortening disease of AIDS is taking a ever-mounting toll of our youth.
More pathetically, 1 in 5 of every sexually active teenage girl becomes pregnant. Before she has even finished her own growing up- she is forced to decide on whether to consent to the murder of an unborn baby through abortion or suffer through the trauma of birth without a husband. This teenage mother’s decisions leaves us with the dilemma of what to do with a flood of illegitimate children? Who will raise this generation? Who will pay for their care, education, shelter?
Maybe we had better question some of the other advice the “experts” gave us.
They told us that we have been too tough with criminals, maybe we should not be so concerned about punishment and justice–that these were not deterrents to crime. So, we went easy on them. And the rate of violent crime has increased so much that some of our streets are hardly safe for policemen anymore. We can’t build prisons and jails fast enough, and we currently spend more to warehouse each and every criminal than it would take to put a bright and promising student through four years of a college education.
They told us that alcoholism and drug addiction were sicknesses, not crimes. We now have become involved in an unwinnable war against drugs, and alcoholism currently affects I out of 5 Americans.
They told us that if we would just be more generous with those who will not work, there would be no more motive for stealing. So we gave welfare and assistance to practically everybody that asked. And robbery, shoplifting, burglary, and car theft are running higher than ever. The frequency of sins mount as a holy fear of them is deadened.)
LET’S STOP THIS FOOLISHNESS! There is a God who demands morality, righteousness and holiness. There are rules! Life on planet Earth came with a Book of Instructions – the BIBLE. God has told us the truth and warned us that there are consequences for not obeying His Word.
God’s word says do not steal anything-anywhere, anytime.
It says do not believe the booze baloney-do not get drunk.
It says wait until you marry to have sex and then sleep only with your spouse.
It says women should wear modest apparel. That it is a shame for women them to cut their hair. It denounces make-up and jewelry.
It says women shouldn’t wear men’s clothes nor should men wear women’s clothes.
It says be honest in everything you do, and not ever lie.
It says you should not do what you “want”; but you should do what you “ought.” And it specifies which is which.
It says wisdom is seeing life from the viewpoint of God. And that His Word is still the best blueprint for living.It will endure when all the other “experts” are gone to face their consequences!
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The Above Material Was Published Be Wisconsin District News, September/October, 1994, Page 2. This Material Is Copyrighted And May Be Used For Study & Research Purposes Only.
