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People are building their lives on faulty blueprints. This partial article explores one such misdirected attempt.
Faulty Blueprints
The world we live in is searching -- searching for a formula, a blueprint on which to build their lives. A precursory search of amazon.com reveals there are 6,518 books on self help; 96,828 on personal growth/self-esteem; and 210,466 on self improvement. Television resonates with talk shows celebrating new ways to improving one’s life, getting on top of one’s game, and finding peace in a dog-eat-dog world.
The religious community is also trying every conceivable means to identify new false gods that will provide them contentment, happiness, and a way of escape. Wicca’s embrace nature’s beauty but reject one creator. Muslims accept Mohammed’s rituals and rites but have no assurance of final resurrection. Mormons follow a one man’s vision with no collective proof of the validity of his writings. 4,200 religions of the world are clamoring for the world’s attention -- each saying their religion has the answer.
All of the world’s religions outside of Christianity are void because they are of a Christ-less design -- they are outside of Jesus Christ -- they are non-Christian. They give a faulty blueprint for living.
Even still, this faulty search for building one’s life takes many forms in America. Many embrace a religion, even Christianity, but consume their lives seeking after pleasure, success, prestige, and money. All provide momentary fulfillment but end in disappointment as life’s conclusion approaches. They are either patterning their lives after Christ with a carnal design or they are living carelessly -- stumbling through this world without experiencing the abundant life.
These three designs I want to address further to show why they are faulty:
The dictionary tells us Christ-less is an adjective meaning not believing in Christ;
a non-Christian or unchristian; not of a Christian faith. All faiths that do not accept Jesus Christ as the sinless Son of God who lived, died, and rose again for the sinners of this world are of a Christ-less design.
They are blind. “Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.” Isaiah 50:9 Though they think they see, they don’t. Because they flounder in darkness they are lost.
Joseph Stowell tells a story that drives home this point: “We were on our annual Christmas trek to Chicago. Each year we brought our family to spend time with Grandpa and Grandma and visit the museums. This year we decided to finish our Christmas shopping at suburban Woodfield Mall. In the midst of all the fun and excitement, one of us noticed that little three-and-a-half- year-old Matthew was gone. Terror immediately struck our hearts. We had heard the horror stories: little children kidnapped in malls, rushed to a rest room, donned in different clothes and altered hairstyle, and then swiftly smuggled out, never to be seen again...We split up, each taking an assigned location. Mine was the parking lot. I'll never forget that night--kicking through the newly fallen snow, calling out his name at the top of my lungs. I felt like an abject fool, yet my concern for his safety outweighed all other feelings.
Unsuccessful, I trudged back to our meeting point. My wife, Martie, had not found him, nor had my mother. And then my dad appeared, holding little Matthew by the hand. Our hearts leapt for joy. Interestingly enough, Matthew was untraumatized. He hadn't been crying. To him, there had been no problem. I asked my father where he had found him. "The candy counter," he replied. "You should have seen him. His eyes came just about as high as the candy. He held his little hands behind his back and moved his head back and forth, surveying all the luscious options." Matthew didn't look lost. He didn't know he was lost. He was oblivious to the phenomenal danger he was in. This is a candy-counter culture, where people who don't look lost and don't know they're lost live for consumption.
Failing to recognize their lostness -- their living in darkness, they are unable to recognize the one God sent for their deliverance. “He (Jesus) was in the world and though the world was made by Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own but His own did not receive Him.” John 1:10-11
They are deceived. People with a Christ-less design are ultimately deceived by Satan. Scripture is full of his deception.
DECEPTION INSTANCES OF OR BY SATAN: Ge 3:4 .Abraham, in stating that Sarah was his sister; Ge 12:13 20:2 .Isaac, in stating that his wife was his sister; Ge 26:7 .Jacob and Rebekah, in imposing Jacob on his father, and Jacob's impersonating Esau; Ge 27:6-23 .Jacob's sons, in entrapping the Shechemites; Ge 34:13-31 .In representing to their father that Joseph had been destroyed by wild beasts; Ge 37:29-35 .Joseph, in his ruse with his brothers; Ge 42 43 44.The Gibeonites, in misrepresenting their habitat; Jos 9:3-15 .Ehud deceives Eglon, and kills him; Judg 3:15-30 .Delilah deceives Samson; Judg 16:4-20 .David feigns madness; 1Sa 21:10-15 .Amnon deceives Tamar by feigning sickness; 2 Sa 13:6-14 .Hushai deceives Absalom; 2 Sa 16:15-19 .Sanballat tries to deceive Nehemiah; Ne 6 .By Absalom .When he avenged his sister; 2 Sa 13:24-28 .When he began his conspiracy; 2 Sa 15:7 .The old prophet; 1Ki 13:18 .Gehazi; 2 Ki 5:20 .Job's friends; Job 6:15 .Doeg; Ps 52:2 .Herod; Mt 2:8.
A Christ-less design is prone to deception because:
1. It makes assumptions that are void of truth (ex. A principle, person, or belief system has the power to direct my life -- even when that person is myself). When assumptions are wrong -- delusion usually follows.
2. It believes human beings can chart their own destiny -- are master’s of their own souls.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment …”Luke 16:22 When people in pride assume total control of their lives … rejecting their creator … their minds become clouded with grandiose plans without realizing they have no power over the next minute … let alone eternity.
3. It is directed by self. A life of self is prone to get tunnel vision -- to lose sight of others -- to become absorbed in their own little world -- to reorder perceptions -- to be always right -- to be self deceived.
“Some early studies concerned with prejudice show that we're quite capable of reordering our perceptions of the world around us in order to maintain our conviction that we're right. A group of white, middle-class New York City residents were presented with a picture of people on a subway. Two men were in the foreground. One was white, one was black. One wore a business suit, one was clothed in workman's overalls. One was giving his money to the other who was threatening him with a knife.
Now as a matter of fact it was the black man who wore the suit, and it was he who was being robbed by the white laborer. But such a picture didn't square with the prejudices of the viewers. To them, white men were executives, black men were blue collar workers. Blacks were the robbers, whites the victims. And so they reported what their mind told them they saw--that a black laborer was assaulting a white businessman. As human beings who desperately desire our lives to be consistent and untroubled, we'll go to great lengths to reject a message that implies we're wrong. When our lives are directed by self, pride dictates that we be right. We will reorder our perceptions in order to prove that a Christ-less designed life is best for us
Blind and deceived, a life built without Christ is destined to chase after anything that promises fulfillment. Self becomes pre-eminent. Hopelessness is the final outcome. Hell is the eternal destiny. Chapter 3 will address how we remedy this lostness and begin to build a life with purpose, direction, and fulfillment.
A carnal design is a life of some who may know Christ but yet live contrary to biblical truth related to the world and the flesh.
“What is carnality? According to the Greek dictionary, it means to have the nature
and characteristics of the flesh (or more simply, it means "fleshly"). What, then , is the flesh? Sometimes it refers to the whole material part of man (1 Corinthians 15:39; Hebrews 5:7), and based on this meaning, carnal sometimes relates to material things like money (Romans 15:27) or to the opposite of our weapons of spiritual warfare (2 Corinthians 10:4). But the word flesh also has a metaphorical sense when it refers to our disposition to sin and to oppose or omit God in our lives. The flesh is characterized by works that include lusts and passions (Galatians 5:19-24; I John 2:16); it can enslave (Romans 7:25); and in it is nothing good (Romans 7:18). Based on this meaning of the word flesh, to be carnal means to be characterized by things that belong to the unsaved life (Ephesians 2:3).”
Yet, carnal Christianity describes many in our churches. Addressing a national seminar of Southern Baptist leaders, George Gallup said, "We find there is very little difference in ethical behavior between churchgoers and those who are not active religiously...The levels of lying, cheating, and stealing are remarkable similar in both groups.”
(Note: This article is not complete and will ultimately be a part of my next book entitled "Building Your Life by the Owner's Design". I will treasure your critical comments.
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Leland