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The Sure Foundation

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The Sure Foundation

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“The latest poll says…” When you listen to a newscast how often do you hear the commentator talk about the latest poll? He may say a certain percentage of people favor abortion, homosexuality, securing our southern border, or granting citizenship to illegal aliens already residing in this country. Many politicians base their actions on these polls. If the majority of the people favor something, then many politicians will favor that ideology. Their values and beliefs are not based upon their own convictions, but upon what they think the public wants.

However, some politicians may have personal convictions about family, marriage, and ethics, but their definition of these terms is quite different from ours. They may consider themselves to be quite religious but understand precious little about the Bible. Have you ever heard a politician champion marriage, but his definition of marriage could be between two people of the same gender, not between one man and one woman?

As a Christian our beliefs and actions are not based upon what is the popular opinion or prevailing view of the day. We cannot create our own personal definition on subjects that are contrary to the Bible. Our values and views must be based upon the Scriptures. How we view the world and what is taught in society is commonly called your “worldview.” One’s worldview generally refers to the framework of ideas and beliefs through which an individual, group or culture interprets the world and interacts with it.

The prevailing idea in society is that Darwinian evolution is true—that it explains how life came about on earth. Even many Christians who claim to believe in God will explain creation through evolution. Yet the Scriptures clearly tell us that “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” And speaking of the Word, John wrote that “all things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3). Why is this important? It demonstrates whether you believe the Bible or not. We are not free to pick and choose what sections of the Bible we will believe. Jesus said that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4). Do we trust the Scriptures as the divine revelation of God to mankind? Do we pick and choose which values to embrace or do we look to God as the ultimate authority? Jeremiah explained that “the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). The Bible is a revelation from God of spiritual knowledge and understanding that mankind would not be able to discover on his own. God makes known how to direct our steps.

At one time the education in this country was based upon the Bible and the values of Scripture. When I attended grade school in the 50s, we would memorize Bible verses and be given a New Testament as a gift for doing so. In high school, each day started with a prayer. No one thought anything about it. Today children are being molded with secular humanism in school. Notice what Wikipedia states about secular humanism: It “embraces human reason, ethics, and philosophical naturalism while specifically rejecting religious dogma [and] supernaturalism … as the basis of morality and decision making. Secular humanism posits that human beings are capable of being ethical and moral without religion or a god.”

Consequently, we have whole generations of young people who grow up formulating their own values based upon their personal beliefs. Many of their ideas and approaches are formed by the teaching and education they receive from instructors who do not believe in God or eternal values. Humanism relies one human reason, human ethics, and a rejection of religious dogma as a basis for morality.

So what is the foundation of our belief? Jesus explains: “Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock” (Luke 6:47-48).

Our lives must be built on the sure foundation of the words of God, which are spirit and life. Popular ideas and views change over a period of time. But the Word of God stands fast forever and ever.