Making Golden Calves Extinct

Christ didn’t come to win friends; He came to save friends. Christ came calling sinners to repentance. Sin is rebellion against GOD, and rebellion against GOD is lethal both physically and spiritually. You can’t consider yourself someone’s friend if you are unwilling to warn them of danger. We shouldn’t mistake gaining the favor of someone with becoming their friend. I have found that many people, including many proclaiming to be Christian, don’t conform to love as characterized in the bible. Consequently, there are many people that consider themselves friends, but their relationships are void of the life-giving principles of true love. Their relationships hinge on pleasing one another instead of pleasing GOD. The scripture is clear that we cannot serve two masters.

Today, there is a movement among many Christians to make the gospel more appealing to this generation by tailoring the content and presentation of the gospel. Many Christians have begun misrepresenting GOD in order to win favor with people. I have heard it said that a half truth is still a lie. Presenting some characteristics of GOD while suppressing others is lying about who GOD is. I have heard to many one-sided sermons and pitches from Christians trying to sale a false Christ by only speaking of His grace, mercy, and love without mentioning His requirement of repentance, self-denial, and obedience, or His indignation for hypocrisy, self-righteousness, and pride. Christ says if He is lifted up, He will draw all men unto Him. We have to lift up the whole person of Christ.

I have heard people take the position in support of another by saying, they just want them to be happy. The question I ask is do you want their happiness to be temporary or eternal. As Christians, we should be thinking spiritually in terms of the eternal. You can’t love adequately from feelings and emotions, because love is spiritual, and it flows from GOD’s Spirit. This is why Christ requires that we be born again of GOD’s Spirit, so that we are equipped to fulfill the requirements of Love.

⁸ Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹ For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:8-10 NKJV)

As your friend, I don’t owe you to support any ideas, feelings, desires, or dreams that you have on the single basis that it makes you happy. I owe you GOD’s life sustaining love, and He makes sure we all have plenty to share, because truly He has poured out His love abundantly throughout the ages and especially to this generation by Christ and the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, just like the children of Israel being led by the prophet Moses, sometimes people get in their own way. Like sheep trying to tell the shepherd how to lead. The Children of Israel murmured and complained against GOD because they preferred what they wanted above what GOD knew they needed, and it cost them their lives. Physicians don’t let their patients write their own prescriptions. The Church shouldn’t be fashioning a savior to the preference of the world. GOD has called us to be royal priest of His Kingdom, so we should not be repeating the sin of Aaron by making golden calves for people.

We have to accept the reality that everyone does not value truth or spiritual things. Those who do not know GOD and who are not born of His spirit will often have a whole separate set of values. As ambassadors of the Kingdom of GOD, we must be faithful witnesses of what is right and true, both in word and in deed. If we are rejected by the world, it is due to the fact that the carnal mind has no regard for the spiritual things of GOD. As I mentioned earlier, no one comes to GOD unless He first draws them. Be faithful like the Son of man and love people as you call them to repentance and to the cross, so they can have a real opportunity at being redeemed and renewed in order to be reconciled to GOD.

Christ wasn’t despised and rejected by men because He was unfriendly. Christ was persecuted because men love darkness rather than light, and often prefer that which is evil over that which is good. Christ is still persecuted because when you suffer persecution and rejection for obeying His word it is His life in you that is really being despised. I have been told by some family and friends, at one time or another, that when they want my advice, they will ask for it. Correction and reproof are integral parts of life-giving love. If I truly care for people, I can’t compromise that. If I offer someone counsel according to the word of GOD and they react adversely, I can’t allow myself to be offended or discouraged, I only have to realize that they were not ready to receive Christ’s counsel or leadership in the area of their life. I should also pray that GOD will grant them another opportunity for mercy and truth. I think it is noteworthy to mention that just because someone rejects the truth when shared it doesn’t mean that you missed GOD’s timing or method. Many prophets have been killed for doing exactly what they were told of GOD. Another point to note is that polling society tells you what is popular not what is right, so it is important not to use general consensus as a barometer for what is appropriate or right. Seek godly counsel and filter it by the word and weigh it by the Spirit. We must endeavor love courageously.