(doctrine + devotion, part 2)

I’ve heard of guys who test outlets with their fingers. That’s right, when they want to check if an outlet has power running to it they just cram their fingers into the fixture. If they get a jolt they know the switch needs to be turned off.

Well that is certainly is a way to get instant feedback isn’t it?

It seems all the rage to say something like, “I just want to love Jesus.” What is implied by most who use this mantra is “Why are you making such a big deal about all that stuff in the Bible. Just major on Jesus and don’t worry about the rest.” Doctrine has been made into the bad guy. Interesting concept. I wonder what Athanasius, Jerome, Augustine, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Justin Martyr, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Bunyan, Richard Baxter, John Hus, Zwingli, John Owen, Charles Spurgeon, and J.C. Ryle - just to name a few - would say to that? 

Shortcuts - appealing, alluring, out of the blue shortcuts. Who doesn’t like a shortcut? We like the shortcut because it’s faster, because it’s different, because it’s fun. A shortcut makes you feel special because you feel like you figured out something special. Like you have insider information that other wish they had.

But shortcuts come with a trade-off. There is always a trade-off otherwise it wouldn’t be a shortcut, it would be the established road to take. The tradeoff might be safety (which would manifest itself in a plethora of ways) or bad road signs (i.e. easy to get lost). But there is always a trade-off.