My first report card in 1st grade included an F in math. I was a smart kid. I had a great teacher. I understood the concepts, and I had ample opportunity to practice the concepts as taught. The reason I failed math is that I liked addition, and I didn’t like subtraction.
Addition was cool. You take two little numbers and turn them into one big number. That was nice. But subtraction turned two big numbers into one little bitty number. That was mean, and I didn’t like it. So I decided to add all of the math problems, even the ones that contained a minus sign. Once I'd made that small reinterpretation of the principles, math became one of my favorite subjects.
In my mind, I had good reasons for changing the directions of the problems, but my reasons didn’t change the reality of the assignments. Hence, the F in math on my first grade report card.
The Bible contains some uncomfortable directions. There are things in scripture that sound uncool, even mean. Many of us have really good personal reasons why we’d rather do, teach, and believe something other than what the directions in the Bible tell us. We have the freedom to do that, but neither our reasons nor our liberty change the reality of God’s revealed Word.
What a sad, sad shame it would be to spend a life joyfully and sincerely doing and teaching the opposite of what God’s Word, to exchange the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1: 25) only to discover that the big red “F” doesn’t stand for “fine” or “faithful.”
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1: 8, 9)
True Biblical doctrine isn't always as nice or as cool as we imagine it could be; but it’s still the Truth. And we owe it to God, to the world, and to ourselves to deliver the Truth no matter how much we dislike the problems that come from faithfully speaking what the Bible honestly says.
Jesus said: Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5: 19)
Addition was cool. You take two little numbers and turn them into one big number. That was nice. But subtraction turned two big numbers into one little bitty number. That was mean, and I didn’t like it. So I decided to add all of the math problems, even the ones that contained a minus sign. Once I'd made that small reinterpretation of the principles, math became one of my favorite subjects.
In my mind, I had good reasons for changing the directions of the problems, but my reasons didn’t change the reality of the assignments. Hence, the F in math on my first grade report card.
The Bible contains some uncomfortable directions. There are things in scripture that sound uncool, even mean. Many of us have really good personal reasons why we’d rather do, teach, and believe something other than what the directions in the Bible tell us. We have the freedom to do that, but neither our reasons nor our liberty change the reality of God’s revealed Word.
What a sad, sad shame it would be to spend a life joyfully and sincerely doing and teaching the opposite of what God’s Word, to exchange the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1: 25) only to discover that the big red “F” doesn’t stand for “fine” or “faithful.”
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1: 8, 9)
True Biblical doctrine isn't always as nice or as cool as we imagine it could be; but it’s still the Truth. And we owe it to God, to the world, and to ourselves to deliver the Truth no matter how much we dislike the problems that come from faithfully speaking what the Bible honestly says.
Jesus said: Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5: 19)
---Anderson
T. Graves II is a writer, community organizer
and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.
Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama, executive director of the
Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO) and director of rural leadership development for
the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).
To hear sermons, read devotions, and learn more
about the ministry at Hall Memorial CME Church, visit www.hallmemorialcme.blogspot.com .
If this message helps or touches you, please help
support this ministry. Send a donation of any amount by check or money order.
Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Road
Montgomery, AL 36116
Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Road
Montgomery, AL 36116
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