Culture vs. Scripture: Knowing Truth

Evangelist and author Dr. Erwin Lutzer tells a fascinating story when asked about the difference between current cultural norms versus Scriptural values.  He begins by describing a time when he went to a country club to play golf with a friend.  Beside a pond that they were standing next to, Lutzer noticed a mother duck's nest, partially hidden behind some brush.  When he walked over and took a closer look, he noticed that the nest contained a single golf ball!  The poor mother duck had mistaken it for an egg, and would soon be in for a disappointment after months go by, and no baby duckling emerges.  

Although humorous, Dr. Lutzer's point was that the mother duck had been deceived early on, and took in what she considered to be the genuine article.  It equates to people thinking that they are worshipping the real God in Heaven, but finding out later that a false, culture-produced version of the Lord isn't going to save them.  In the same way that this poor duck was convinced she was going to be a mother someday – people all around us are guarding and nurturing a faith that may not be Scripturally true.  

There is very real pressure for churches in the West today to begin making allowances and accommodations in order to let in fashionable beliefs and trends.  For example, some pastors may think that if their church doesn't bend to current cultural norms, they may lose parishioners.  Or take for example the extremely popular liberal ideology which says that we shouldn't ever judge sin.  People can do whatever they want as long as it doesn't hurt someone else, and God is more like a fun uncle than a strict parent. 

However, 2 Thessalonians 2:15 says, "So then brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter."  Here the apostle Paul is exhorting his readers to remain faithful, and not to let any other false doctrine or tradition supersede what Jesus actually said and did.  Apparently, this type of thing happened two-thousand years ago also, and required several letters from Paul to help keep believers on track.

And I think this is where the modern church finds itself today.  Many have gone apostate and shifted from Christ's commandments altogether, in order to begin reflecting the passions of our current time.  A good many other churches have begun the slow but steady process of leaving the faith one small step at a time, through a series of little concessions.  "It's okay to compromise on this or that, as long as we don't go too far" you might hear them say. 

Faithful Christians will need to stay strong and stick together during these  times of lukewarm religion and false teaching.  Remember always: the pulpit is designed to preach Scripture - not politics, opinion, or cultural trends.  Follow Scripture, and not culture.  Jesus will show us who we need to listen to, and everyone else will just be so many empty voices.

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The Battlefield of Humanity

Some are in the habit of asking why they don't witness more miracles.  It's an interesting question, and often asked by well-meaning people seeking after God.  Dr. Chauncey Crandall is a surgeon and a cardiologist from Palm Beach, and he has an answer to this question.  He is quoted on a podcast called The Deep End, saying that many times people don't see the miraculous, because they aren't spending time on the battlefield of humanity.  Surely he has seen it all as a surgeon, and in fact he tells quite a few stories of resuscitated patients that saw heaven or hell moments after dying on the hospital table.  But more than that, I think what he was alluding to is the idea that if we aren't spending time bringing people closer to Jesus, then we won't typically see His handiwork in real time.  Now don't misunderstand me, if you aren't seeing supernatural things on a regular basis, it doesn't mean that you aren't born again.  Faith healing is not a criteria of salvation.  But it just might mean that you aren't spending enough time on the spiritual front lines either.  

If we stop for a moment and remember all of the miracles from the book of Acts, I think a couple things become clear.  First, the apostles were witness to  miracles on a regular basis, even though Jesus had already left them and ascended into Heaven.  I believe the reason for this is because they were  conducting their evangelistic ministry out in public, for regular people; they didn't stay inside the safety of the synagogue.  Instead, they met people where they were at in life.

The second thing we notice is that they were calling forth God's healing power by way of the Holy Spirit, and often because they perceived a nudge from God.  In other words, they were healing people with purpose, not just for the sake of some type of theatrical show.  They understood that God was healing through them, because they walked in the footsteps of Christ.  Man doesn't heal anyone; miracles are the realm of Jesus Christ.

I will never forget an instance when I was at a music concert for one of my children years ago.  It was during a break, and I felt the "nudge" of the Spirit telling me to go over and pray for someone across the hallway.  This gentleman had been suffering from a problem that the doctors couldn't figure out how to treat (I knew this already, because he told the story to several of us earlier).  So, I choked back my discomfort, walked over to him and asked if we could pray together.  He was on board with this plan, so we prayed right there in the convention center.  Later, he told my wife that he was sitting in a board meeting that very next day after we prayed, and he could feel the healing.  From that point forward, his malady had disappeared.  No medication, no treatment plan, just God showing up after prayer.  I don't believe that I have the spiritual gift of healing like some do, or that I am even particularly holy.  But when the Spirit nudged me, I listened.  I really do think that is all that the Lord requires of us sometimes.  Just listen, and then obey.   

So why doesn't God heal all of His faithful followers?  Honestly, I don't know.  This is up to God and His sovereignty.  I wish that there was some formula we could follow to achieve perfect healing every time, but there just isn't.  Sometimes people are healed by Jesus, sometimes by modern medicine, and sometimes not at all.  That is the conundrum we face as human beings this side of Heaven.  Maybe someday we will have an answer to that question when it's our turn to meet our maker.  But until then, continue showing up on the spiritual battlefield of humanity.  You may just start seeing the supernatural.  

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A Seat at God's Table

Have you ever felt out of place?  That strange, sinking feeling that people get when they realize they were picked last for the dodge-ball team maybe?  Or the sudden awareness that you have gone to a party and didn't catch the memo stating it was a formal affair - so you showed up wearing a t-shirt and sneakers?  Whatever the details may have been, I believe it is a truism to say that most people have felt out of place at one time or another.  It's so easy to feel like we don't fit in or don't belong sometimes.  

When we take this analogy into the spiritual arena, you will be relieved to know that membership in the divine family of God isn't the same as walking into a new and unfamiliar place here on Earth.  It is less intimidating, I think.  In fact, Jesus often talked about the importance of declaring affiliation with himself and the Father.  John 15:5 says, "I [Jesus] am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."  We might learn from this I think, that it is much better to be part of the vine … part of the grand design that is the Holy Trinity.  Better to affiliate and claim membership to that which is life-giving and sustainable.  After all, no one wants to be 'pruned' out of the main vine, right?

There is another curious theme that runs through the New Testament.  Jesus tells a number of parables relating to the kingdom of heaven by way of the banquet metaphor.  We are told that the Lord will welcome His guests into His house and provide them a seat at the "banquet table."  We are also told not to seek out the most important and affluent chair at the table, but rather to remain humble and sit with the other guests.  We are simply to be grateful just to be there and enjoy the food.  It's much easier to fit in that way.  

We have now this portrait before us.  There will be an amazing wedding banquet someday.  It will consist of those who are invited, if they choose to come.  The parable says that many will give excuses as to why they cannot attend.  They are busy with work or other obligations.  These declarations will all fall flat on that great day by the way.  But for the guests at the feast who show up, the entrees served will be love and acceptance - they will have a seat at the table reserved just for them.  No more feeling out of place.  They have accepted salvation by faith through grace from the Son of God. 

The born-again Christian has assurance that eternity will be spent with a loving God, in a mansion with many rooms, and a seat reserved just for you at the table.  There will be no more loneliness, confusion, or feeling out of place.  No more pain or suffering; that will be the old order of things.  Instead, we get to live forever in a type of fulfilled abundance that we have never known before.  We will be accepted and loved.  We will belong.  

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The Value of a Life

I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that after the COVID pandemic, something happened to our collective mental health.  The world spent several years living in denial, fear, and then grief.  This type of prolonged exposure to stress can lead to PTSD of course, and once the world finally began to heal physically, many (if not most) of us simply went on with our lives.  Not much time dedicated to psychological healing.  According to some recent studies, as many as one in five Americans suffer from diagnosed anxiety, and that doesn't include those who have never gone to see a doctor.  For adolescents, this figure jumps to about one in three.  In addition to that, about fifty-thousand adults die annually in the U.S. from suicide.  Innumerable more have considered it.  Sufficed to say, we have a problem.  

As part of my occupation, I deal with young people who often have experience with friends or family members that have taken their own lives.  The effects are long lasting and devastating for those left behind.  In many ways, I think that this may be America's new silent epidemic.  Do people know how valuable they actually are?  Do they understand that God designed them with a purpose and specific spiritual gifts?  Unfortunately, in many cases, I think the answer is "no."  So I want to take a moment to look at some of the Scriptures in the Bible about God's love.  

Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "The faithful love of the Lord never ends!  His mercies never cease.  Great is His faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning."  It appears then, that we are faithfully loved by the creator of all things.  Likewise, Psalm 139:14 says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  This means we are capable of affecting the world in awe inspiring ways.  And finally my favorite, Genesis 1:27, which states, "So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them."  Let that sink in for a moment.  Not only did God create us, He also attributed aspects of Himself into our design.  This means we are of incredible value both as individuals, and as unique parts of God's creation.

Now we can misuse this power and ability of course through sin.  But even so, God still provides a way for us to receive forgiveness through Jesus Christ and his death on the cross.  When we fall, we can repent, ask for forgiveness, and continue living our lives.  Want even better news?  We are saved by faith in Jesus, not because we need to try to be perfect.  I firmly believe that the good news of the Gospel equates to a love letter from Him to us; a written reminder that we  matter.  Even if it doesn't feel like it, and even if other people in your life forget that you are fearfully and wonderfully made.  You do matter, and you are a created being (not just some random, biological accident).  

So what does this mean for you and I today?  Well, I think we can draw several conclusions.  First, it means that if you are feeling inadequate or somehow lesser, you are listening to the wrong voice.  God's voice will tell you the opposite.  Don't believe the lie that says you aren't good enough to be loved.  Second, if you are considering a permanent "solution" to a temporary problem through suicide or self-harm, then please reach out to someone for help.  In six months or a year, you may very well find that the big problem will look smaller than it does now.  And in the long run, you can learn to replace the voice of an often cruel world, with God's loving and edifying voice.  It takes practice, but re-writing your narrative does work.  

So be patient with yourself.  Take time to heal, and make sure to remember that no one else has it all together either.  If they assert such nonsense, then they are lying (or trying to impress you).  And when you feel lost, understand that you can always pray.  Although probably not part of any scientific psychological treatment manual, it remains true that prayer is our primary communication with the Father.  1 John 5:14 says, "And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."  Has it been a while since you have felt heard?  Give prayer a try.  And above all, know that your life is valuable beyond measure, and you are wanted.  If that weren't true, God wouldn't have made you.  

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Jesus: Consultant or King?

I recently heard a famous pastor ask a question to his congregation.  He stoically looked at the crowd and said, "Is Jesus just your consultant, or is he your king?"  The question is simple, but profound.  It goes to the very core of what people think about the connection between belief and obedience.  This is the same question that Jesus asked his disciples in Matthew 16:15-16: "But what about you? he asked.  Who do you say that I am?  Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."  As you may know, Christ then goes on to tell Peter that he will become the rock of the church.  The rest is history (about two-thousand years of history to be exact).

The same question applies to us today.  How do you and I view Jesus?  Is he just a wise teacher that we consult with every once in a while, when we are trying to make an important life decision?  Or do we drop to our knees and worship him every day as Lord and King?  The way we answer this will determine not only our future here on Earth, but also our destiny in the next life.  And there is life after life by the way.  Not only does Jesus talk about a reward in Heaven, but there are countless stories of near death experiences where people have been resuscitated after clinical death, and were given a glimpse into heaven or hell.  The truth is out there.  

So if this question is so important, then why do so many people today ignore it?  Why don't they go to church, pray regularly, or seek after a Holy and forgiving God?  If I knew the answer, I would write another book about it.  I believe there are many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that churches and church people can seem very intimidating.  Others may have been hurt by someone in the church, or by the authority given to elders and leaders.  I totally get it.  But here is the good news.  Each and every person has the same opportunity to flip through the pages of the Bible and read what Jesus said and did.  They can make up their own mind about him, even without necessarily becoming "churched."  There is no one that God cannot reach, even in countries where the Bible has been banned.  

And so we have come to the point where you as the reader must ask yourself the same question.  Is Jesus your consultant, or is he something more than that?  I hope that you come to the same conclusion as I did - that he was and is, the Son of God, come to seek and save the lost.  I was lost once, and you probably were too.  But if your life has taken a more spiritual path, then most likely it's because you view Christ as lord and savior.  Once that revelation takes hold in a person's mind, nothing else can compete.  It wasn't meant to.  

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The Tension Between Grace and Truth

There is a book that used to be standard reading for ministry leaders and pastors.  It's entitled 'Deep and Wide' by Pastor Andy Stanley.  If you don't know Andy, then you may know his father, the late Dr. Charles Stanley.  Both men are powerful preachers in their own rite, and both have pastored megachurches.  One thing that shows up frequently in this book, is the idea that whenever churches succeed in remaining faithful to Scripture, it often results in a tension between propagating both grace and truth.  It is in fact, akin to the image of the double-edged sword that is mentioned coming out of Jesus' mouth in the book of Revelation.  On one hand, we should offer grace to people in the same way that Christ offered grace to us.  But on the other hand (think of it as the other side of the sword), churches also bear the responsibility of telling people the truth as it pertains to behavior and salvation.  As you can imagine, sometimes this isn't easy.  And as Andy Stanley would say, this is when things get messy.  

But real life is often messy, isn't it?  If you have been attending church long  enough, at some point in time you have probably been witness to the "mess" as well.  Imagine for example, someone new begins attending services who doesn't necessarily fit in with the rest of the church culture.  Maybe they don't say churchy things, or they don't wear what some would consider the right type of clothing.  Deep down, I think most believers know that Jesus would not only welcome this person into the sanctuary, but also meet them where they are at.  Over time, the Holy Spirit will go to work on their shortcomings, and in the meantime they are subject to hearing the Word preached from the pulpit on any given Sunday.  Jesus will work on them slowly but surely, the same way he did for most everyone who affirms their Christian faith today.  But it may be messy for a while.  People may get offended, impatient, or complain.  Afterall, the new person isn't "churchy" yet.  

Likewise, when a pastor fills the pulpit and preaches Christ crucified, he must be committed to presenting both grace and truth together.  He can speak about a loving and sacrificial God, but he had better be preaching about repentance from sin also.  Churches can and should be welcoming and open to seekers, but they also need to be aware of the tension that arises when bringing the demands of Scripture into real life.  I suspect it has always been this way, even in the beginning.  If you look at the epistles of Paul back in the first century, we can clearly see how hard he was trying to direct church leaders and help them do church correctly.  Telling them to hold fast to the teaching of the apostles, but also reminding them that they were saved by grace through faith (and not because of their good deeds).  This results in tension.

And the tension is always there ... Andy Stanley says, "it should be managed, not resolved."  I love this statement.  In one sentence, he encapsulates what church should be in the twenty-first century.  Bringing people to the cross isn't clean and tidy.  It involves identifying sin, asking God for His forgiveness, and then welcoming people into the fold; not always in that order.  We welcome and love, Jesus forgives and saves, then God gets the glory.  Alter this formula at your own peril.  And above all else, try to avoid relegating Christianity from a movement to an institution.  They tried that in the Middle Ages, and it didn't go so well.  

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Christianity is Still Relevant

In his excellent book 'Disruptive Witness,' author Alan Noble puts forward the idea that in our current distracted electronic age, people settle for categorizing Christian faith as just another aspect of someone's identity.  As if the Gospel can somehow be relegated to a mere preference or personality type.  I personally find this concept of superficial, lukewarm faith to be repugnant, and so I think that Noble has a point.  In an era where people choose their own version of truth, how can they not assume that Jesus only applies to some people, some of the time.  

While inaccurate, I believe that this error in thinking explains much of what is wrong in our world today.  If people only ever come face to face with a representation of the transcendent (and not the real God), then the temptation would certainly exist to place Christ on a shelf somewhere until you actually need him.  The occasional church visit once a month perhaps, and then back to idolizing our sports heroes like LeBron James or Tom Brady.  But now I digress; we return  to the issue at hand.  Let's discuss how to live out an authentic faith, so that those around us cannot help but notice something is different.  Not just another version of truth - but the ultimate truth in fact.  

One of the first things that Alan Noble talks about in the book is the Lord's Supper.  Communion is an activity that requires people to participate in something together as a community of believers, and it forces us to think about the transcendent.  In other words, the act of taking the wafer and juice has very little to do with us, and a whole lot to do with Jesus.  Indeed, it is difficult not to feel some degree of awe, as we remember the sacrifice Christ made for us on the cross.  Even the words in Scripture are startling: "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." (John 6:54).  No one else on Earth talks like that, and for many, Communion is more than just a time of remembrance.  It is literally the act of transmuting wine and bread into something supernatural.  

I believe the next thing we must do as authentic Christians is to change our faith from something the world can fit neatly into a category, into something real and relevant.  How do we do that?  I think we start living it out through the overflow of Christian joy from our hearts.  Rather than relegating faith to some sort of private, personal journey, we should share it publicly and boldly.  Instead of praying to God only when we need something, we can start praying daily.  A profound faith should be observable by others, have a transcendent meaning that people can't get elsewhere, and force us to contemplate why our lives matter.  

Now all of this is much easier said than done of course.  And that is why being lukewarm is so tempting (it is comfortable and without risk).  But imagine for a moment if the early disciples didn't take any risks.  Imagine if their brand of faith was "personal and private."  There would be no Christian church today.  Likewise, there may be no church tomorrow if believers aren't alive in Christ.  Personally, I don't really want a church life consisting only of social clubs and potluck dinners - at least not at the cost of an authentic, life-changing faith.  I hope you feel the same.  If not, then it's time to read through the New Testament again.  Were the apostles just virtue signaling, or was it something more?

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New Sermon: "A Faithful Remnant"

I was honored to give the sermon message at this excellent church last weekend.  If you have a moment, feel free to click below and listen.  I talk about what it means to be set aside as a Holy remnant for God in our current age.  The sermon itself begins at the 24:44 time stamp (link below):

A Faithful Remnant

 

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Sacrificing Good for Perfect

 I’ve preached a lot of sermons about the danger of being, as Jesus used to call it, “lukewarm.”  And I believe it is most definitely true, that many churches today have succumbed to apostasy and false teaching.  C.S. Lewis used to say that a new Christian is a sheep among wolves.  The new believer needs to be careful regarding what they adopt as doctrine, and also read the Bible for themselves to make sure that they aren’t getting some watered down version of the Gospel, based on current fads or political correctness.  But I want to tackle a slightly different topic today.  After almost twenty-five years of active Christianity, I have noticed that there are still some who may fall victim to the notion that we can save ourselves, if only we repent ardently enough.  In other words, striving for perfection in our day-to-day lives becomes for some people, a thing to be proud and self-righteous about.   

While repentance is definitely part of God’s salvific plan, the follower of Christ must remember that it isn’t within our ability to abstain from sin perfectly all of the time.  Romans 3:23 tells us that in fact, “All have fallen short of the glory of God.”  We have sinned in the past, and will sin again in the future.  Paul addresses this flawed notion of possible perfect behavior in the book of Galatians.  The entire epistle was written to deconstruct the idea that human beings can obey God’s law perfectly all of the time.  He reminds us that we are saved by grace through faith, and even that not of our own doing (Ephesians 2:8-9).  So it appears then, that we need not be perfect in our faith walk or in our repentance, because only God is perfect.

Now please don’t misunderstand me.  We must repent of our sins and ask forgiveness of course, and probably on a daily basis (if we are being honest).  But the aspiring modern-day disciple must not spend too much time worrying about his or her frailty or lack of perfection.  Sanctification is a lifelong journey.  You will have seasons of victory, and seasons of failure.  The late Charles Spurgeon said this in one of his most famous messages: “We never get perfect faith so as to be entirely free of doubting; and we never get repentance which is free from some hardness of heart.”  Don’t believe me?  Think carefully over the last week.  How many times did you think, say, or do something that may not have reflected a perfect and Holy God?  Humbling isn’t it?

I suppose my point is that we must pick up our cross daily and follow Jesus.  But when we slip up and make a mistake, do not assume that we are beyond help or in a hopeless situation.  Trust in Christ, get back on your feet again as soon as possible, and ask for His forgiveness.  And then most importantly, continue on your own personal faith journey.  As a mature Christian, we are able to deal with our own weaknesses.  As the apostle Paul says, God’s power is often made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor 12:10).  I don’t know about you, but that is a big relief for me.    

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A Beacon Church

My mother used to love lighthouses.  Growing up, I remember seeing several pictures of lighthouses on our walls at home.  I never questioned it as a little boy, it was just something all of us kids accepted.  Now that I am older, I often wonder what part about them she liked so much.  Was it the serene ocean coastline that appealed to her?  Was it just the fact that there are so many photos and paintings of lighthouses out there in general?  

Most of us know the purpose behind these magnificent buildings.  They exist to help guide ships into safe harbor during inclement weather or the dark.  They help pilots navigate to safety; they are literally a beacon for ships in the night.  I do wonder if my mother was a beacon herself, or if she was searching for guidance.  Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

Pastor R. Loren Sandford from New Song Church used to talk about something called a 'lighthouse church.'  In his opinion, these churches represent a healthy connection between God and His people, and they are a rare thing in this day and age.  There are four points that compose these churches.  First, a lighthouse or beacon church is presence-based.  In other words, the church convenes each Sunday for the purpose of glorifying and worshipping God - not just to listen to the pastor talk or for mere entertainment value.  If your church has an awesome sound system and large screen TV's, that is great.  But remember, all of this isn't a requirement to give thanks to a Holy God.  The parishioners should be more interested in Him than the presentation.  

Second, a lighthouse church has freedom to move.  This means that if the Holy Spirit shows up during service, we need not necessarily stick to the bulletin.  Real Christianity is sometimes messy, as opposed to polished or refined.  The leaders in one of these churches can get out of their own way, and let God do His thing.  They espouse purpose over preference whenever possible. 

Third, these churches tend to have a culture of honor.  This means that all people are welcome, regardless of background.  This doesn't mean that a church must affirm all viewpoints - Biblical sin must still be recognized as such.  But I think it does mean that a lighthouse church understands all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  And as such, they welcome the opportunity to share God's Word with anyone He sends their way.  

Finally, a lighthouse church promotes a healing atmosphere.  On any given Sunday morning, you won't hear a message designed to incite hate or divisiveness.  Instead, you will hear about God's saving grace through faith, and Jesus' offer of salvation.  Jesus healed people both physically and spiritually; churches must understand how to create a loving environment like this each week.  

John 8:12 is one of my favorite pieces of Scripture.  It says, "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"   We need modern day beacons to shine bright in the darkness.  Strive to create a lighthouse church atmosphere in your own congregation.  Look around each Sunday: does your house of worship have all four of these things in place?  If not, is it at least a work in progress?  Be the beacon in the dark of night for other people.  Live a lighthouse type of life whenever possible.

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Opening Our Spiritual Eyes

Most of us have heard the phrase looking at the world through rose colored glasses.  Most of the time, it simply means that we have chosen to view something in a positive light.  And in fact, I think we very often do choose to view the world in which we live with certain preconceived ideas.  I believe all of us look at life through the lens of a particular worldview.  I believe further, that it is impossible not to interpret the events that unfold around us without passing them through some sort of intellectual filter.  It helps us understand things, and allows us to categorize other peoples' opinions and biases.  

If we are talking here about viewing things through a particular type of lens, then to begin with, I can list off several non-Biblical systems of thought.  For example, the atheist says that there is no God at all, so don't bother looking.  The relativist says that all truth is relative, and depends only on what you personally decide is right or wrong as an individual.  A universalist might stop you in the hall and remind you that basically everything shakes out to similar attributes in the end.  Finally, Scientism tells us that we can only ever know the physical world around us, and nothing else really matters. 

If you notice, all of these worldviews seem to share one thing in common: they don't leave space for any higher, greater truth claims.  They look only so far as their particular belief system allows, and no further.  Any appeal to a higher moral or ethical power is limited by whatever a worldview happens to espouse. In other words, there is a glass ceiling in terms of how much truth you can access, in relation to the aforementioned beliefs.   

I will contrast this to the orthodox Christian Biblical view in a moment, but first I want to point to a piece of Scripture from Acts 9:18.  It says, "Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again.  He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength."  This passage describes the apostle Paul's famous conversion on the road to Damascus.  In a flash of light and loud audible voice, Saul becomes Paul, and he meets the real God for the first time.  His spiritual eyes were opened. 

Author and philosopher C.S. Lewis has been quoted as saying, "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."  God is our primary source of goodness in this world.  If we aren't looking at things by His light, then we are missing something.  All we see are shadows.  We need His help to see things clearly, to understand the parables and stories of the Bible, and to help spread the Gospel message.  Without it, we can easily slip back into one of the secular categories I mentioned earlier.  

By the way, once the scales come off, we are free.  There is no going back.  We are free to love without reservation, to shed guilt associated with sin, and to recognize the need for repentance in order to come closer to a Holy life.  This all takes some work of course, but it is work with an end goal of hope (getting closer to a loving God).  Whereas other worldviews are often limited by a finite end goal, the Christian view allows its proponents to test other opinions and views by stacking them up against what God says in the Bible.  At that point, we can weigh an idea based on whether or not it yields good fruit and produces spiritual growth, or whether it espouses false prophecy and conflict.  

As a final note, I wanted to add that some readers may accuse me of being a victim of my own religious bias and Christian worldview, in the same way that I have faulted secular belief systems.  But understand this difference ... in a solid Christian church, a new believer has the freedom to question faith and look around a bit.  Can adherents of the other views I mentioned do that?  For example, if the atheist starts talking about the possibility of the supernatural, I suspect intense criticism would follow. Likewise, if a naturalist tries to question macro-evolution or the Darwinian view on human origins, they are "out of the club" so to speak.  By contrast, a confident and loving Christian church can provide a safe platform by which a new convert can 'kick the tires' and test ideas.  This is how iron sharpens iron.  So the sooner we shed those scales, the sooner God can open our spiritual eyes. 

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