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  Religion
A "Stepford God" By: Pastor Phillip Howle web posted June 2, 2010 RELIGION – Thanks for the prayers last week. I am feeling better, but still have a little ways to go before my voice is back to normal (or at least as normal as my voice ever is). Yesterday my wife and I had a little tiff, which grew into an argument. It was over whether she should take a nap or do some work that she needed to get done. I asked her to take a nap, and from that little moment on an argument ensued. The problem was me (as is 94% of most of our martial conflict). I was failing to live out Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” But, for a moment, I thought arrogantly and wrongly, that if Rebecca would do exactly what I ask of her all the time and listen to everything I say immediately, we would never have any conflict. Now of course this idea is unbiblical and absurd. But, if Rebecca did respond to me in that way, we never would have conflict, but we would also not have a real relationship. Because a true relationship means that the other person can oppose you. This got me thinking of a great book I read last year The Reason for God, by Tim Keller. It is easy reading, powerful, and gives a great defense for the validity of Christianity. On pages 113-114 he addresses the issue of us serving or creating a “Stepford God.” Now he is referencing the 1975 movie called “The Stepford Wives” which was again remade in 2004. The story line is that the men of Stepford Connecticut have replaced their wives with robots. Unlike their real wives the replacement robots do whatever the husbands want. They never fuss or refuse to do anything. They obey their husband with the phrase “yes dear”. It’s horrible! They thought having a wife that always did everything that they wanted would be amazing, but it’s a nightmare because they soon discover that you can’t have a relationship with someone who is just a reflection of your own sinful desires. Just like I wrote above, real relationships demand the possibility of contradiction. They demand that both parties be who they actually are, not just a reflection of the other persons desires. The reason Tim Keller brings this up is to prove that we need a completely powerful and authoritative Scripture. We need the Bible to have the authority to tell us the truth about God and living for Him, even if we don’t like what it says. With out that, we can’t possibly have a relationship with God. At one time or another we all have done this by creating and worshipping a “Stepford god.” I have many people explain to me through the years how sleeping with their girlfriend or cheating on taxes or lying in business was okay for them. They all professed to be Christians and I tried to explain to them the Bible says what they are doing is wrong. But, they each responded with some variation of “the god I serve says it is Ok because we are “in love” or the government is wasteful or the lie hurts fewer people than the truth. The god these people serve is one of their own imaginations and clearly not the God of the Bible. They want to do something so their god fully agrees in Stepford fashion. Gods of their own imagination that have no power to contradict these people who profess to worship them. But, these people will never be able to have intimacy or relationship with a god of their own making because he won’t be able to correct or rebuke them. In fact their god is not real because he does not exist apart from their imagination. So, make your choice? You can chose to worship, serve, wrestle, and submit to the God of the Bible or you can be no different from early pagans that would fashion a wood or stone in and idol and say “this is my god.” You may be more sophisticated and even come to church regular, but you are no different. You want God for the blessings, but you don’t want God for guidance, correction, and rebuke. That is sad, really sad. Keith Mathison sums it all up like this “To reject the authority of God is the height of arrogant wickedness. To do so is to imitate the works of Satan, and there is no excuse for it. God is holy and just. His word is true and trustworthy. He does not deceive or speak with a forked tongue. When He commands us He commands us for our good and His glory. As His adopted children and subjects, we are called to submit to Him. We are called to trust Him and obey Him.” (By What Authority? September 2008, Tabletalk, p. 32) So this week, put away your “Stepford god” of the man in the mirror, and submit yourself to Jesus, who is the only way to God. As He says in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Thankful for a wise and wonderful wife who lets me know when I am wrong! Pastor Phillip © Copyright 2010
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