We live in a world in which credulity (a pre-disposition to believe without substantive evidence) has become a virtue, and uncritical acceptance a sign of intelligence.  It is a world in which naivete is a mark of noble character, and gullibility is morally superior to critical thinking (whatever that was).  Full disclosure: this is not a world in which I feel comfortable or into which I readily fit.  I blame my parents first and foremost.

Let’s face it—they were not particularly broad-minded people.  To start with, they believed in objective reality, and lent no credence to the principle that reality is whatever one wishes it to be.  They were also convinced of the existence of absolute truth, by which facts were established that proved or disproved a proposition.  Truth to them, was not variable or relative, but fixed and unchanging.  From these paradigms flowed many related convictions, such as the need to distinguish verities from falsehoods, fact from fiction, right from wrong—and dare I say it—good from evil.

Mom and dad were kind of rigid that way.  They saw value in having a solid, time-tested moral code and in trying to actually live by it.  They practiced what they preached and expected others to do the same.  My folks called things by their right names and didn’t apologize for it.  Beyond the nursery door they did not go in for ‘let’s pretend,’ and even if they had, it would never have occurred to them to coax or coerce others into playing along.  In that respect I guess you could say that they lacked imagination.

To be quite candid about my upbringing, I must admit that creativity was not encouraged in matters of faith.  My parents freely imposed their beliefs on me from before I could walk and talk.  I was not offered alternatives when it came to God and was dragged along to their house of worship weekly, without fail.  Services there were sectarian in nature.  Atheist or agnostic options were not presented to me for consideration.  I was never consulted as to whether I might prefer to stay in bed or play with my toys instead of going to church and Sunday school. And though questions were allowed, classes on comparative world religion were not held in our living room.

As a direct result of these parental shortcomings, I grew up small-minded, as they had.  I learned to memorize Bible verses, take part in the liturgy, recite creeds, sing hymns, listen to sermons, and join in prayers on cue.  By the time my formative years were over, I had Christianity on the brain.  No one had protected me from its insidious seepage into my tender, delicate psyche.  As a child I hadn’t been warned that over time I would internalize that to which I was being exposed and daily experiencing its reinforcement at home.  I scarcely appreciated the danger that my parent’s beliefs and those of their faith community might very well become my own.

As it turns out, it was worse than that.  Somewhere along the way, God somehow got hold of me.  I slid from religion into relationship, from knowing about God, to knowing Him personally.  In this sense, I equaled and perhaps even surpassed my parents in the narrowness of my thinking.  I pressed on from adopting the faith of my fathers to adoption by the Father of all who truly believe.  And in the process, I discovered the joys of small-mindedness.

I am keenly aware that some will sneer scornfully at this admission and quit reading.  That’s how they prove their open-mindedness.  Others will shake their heads in pity, assuming I’ve been indoctrinated and manipulated by my well-meaning but misguided guardians.  They consider diversity from popular opinion tragic.  God considers it a necessity: “⁸ Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. ⁹ For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:8-9)

Fully divine, yet fully human—one extraordinary Person making God personal, relatable, and accessible.  This is Jesus, who loved us and gave Himself for us, once for all and for all time, to die for our sins, in our place, that we might be forgiven, cleansed and reconciled to God: “¹⁴ Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; ¹⁵ And having spoiled [evil] principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”  (Colossians 2:14-15)

^“20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. ²¹ And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled ²² In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: ²³ If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven.” (Colossians 1:20-23)

This hope is ^“5 …the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; ⁶ Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:” (Colossians 1:5-6)

The gospel or “good news” of the salvation to be found in Jesus Christ, has spread “in all the world” and is “preached to every creature under heaven.”  It is “bringing forth fruit” (saving souls) by enabling people to know the truth of God’s grace (undeserved favor toward those who repent of their sins and believe the gospel).  The gospel is anchored in “the word of truth” (the Bible) which assures us of “the truth of the gospel.”  

It tells us of good things to enjoy now—peace with God and reconciliation, fellowship with Him and adoption into a huge family of brothers and sisters in Christ, from every time and place.  It also tells us of good things to come—eternal life in heaven, in the face-to-face presence of God, where we will rule and reign with Christ, free from pain, suffering, sickness, separation and death (to say nothing of permanent escape from deserved punishment in hell).

This is why, “¹⁶ …I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)

It is in the gospel that the righteousness not of men, but of God is revealed.  God is holy and must punish sin.  His justice demands it.  Yet His love for us is such that He is not willing that any should perish (John 3:16, II Peter 3:9).  What to do? God sent His only begotten Son to become a man, live a sinless life and offer up Himself as a sacrifice, taking the punishment our sins deserve.  He did this so that freedom can be given to us as a gift—penalty fully paid, demands of the law fully satisfied, no charge remaining against us.  It is on this basis that those who are in Christ can be presented to the Father “…holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: ²³ If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel.” 

How can one who has received Christ as his or her Lord continue in the faith, stay grounded and settled and avoid moving away from the hope that the gospel provides? ^“6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:⁷ Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6-7)

It may sound simple, small-minded even, but it’s all about Jesus.  Those who have received Him as Lord and Savior are to walk with and “in” Him, to sink their roots deep and to grow (be built up) in Him, established, stabilized, and abounding in the faith they have been taught.

Those who have not received God’s gift of eternal life cannot and will not be presented to the Father “…holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight.”  Jesus explains why in His own words (John 3:17-21):

^“17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. ¹⁸ He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. ²¹ But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

Where do you stand, my friend?  Are you saved by God’s grace or condemned already?  Listen to Jesus as He speaks to you right now: “ ¹³ Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: ¹⁴ Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

Have you taken the narrow way or are you on the broad road that leads to destruction?  This is no time to be broad-minded.  Be narrow-minded where life & death and heaven & hell are concerned.  If you are on the wrong road, turn back immediately and take the other fork.  The Bible says there is but:  

One Savior (Acts 4:12).  One sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10:12), one time for all time (Hebrews 10:10).  One hope of eternal life (Ephesians 4:4).  One Mediator between God and man (I Timothy 2:5).  One Advocate with the Father (I John 2:1).  One name by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).  One Lord, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:5).  One way to the Father (John 14:6).  One sheepfold, one Shepherd (John 10:16).  One name above every name (Ephesians 1:21).  

I could go on, but I think you get the point.  There is no time like the present to discover the joys of small-mindedness.  If you have not already done so, I pray that you will call upon the name of the Lord NOW.  Jesus Christ is ready to receive you.  His holy angels long to rejoice over you.  Please my friend—don’t keep them waiting.  Don’t gamble with your own destiny.  Come to Jesus.  Come today.

HOW TO BE SAVED:

• Admit to God that you are a sinner (that you have not kept His moral law to perfection; in your thoughts, words, and actions you have done what His law forbids and have failed to do what His love demands).  This is seeing yourself from God’s point of view and agreeing that He is right about you.  Be as specific as you can.
• Believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and that God raised Him from the dead.
• Sincerely repent (turn away) from your sins, asking God to forgive you and to use His power to help you resist temptation, no matter how strong the pull of sin may be, at first.
• Acknowledge Jesus as the Lord of your life.  Invite Him to move into your heart and take up residence there, so that He can change you from the inside out.
• Trust His promise to save you and give you a new spiritual birth and a new nature (thoughts, desires, priorities, hopes, dreams, and character).

SOME KEY TRUTHS:

• “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  (Romans 3:23)
• “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.”  (Romans 3:10)
• “For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23)
• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)
• “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:8)
• “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”  (I Corinthians 15:3,4)
• “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12)
• “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him…”  (Revelation 3:20)
• “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  (Romans 10:13)
• “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”  (Romans 10:9)
• “Verily, verily, I say unto you; He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life; and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”  (John 5:24)
• “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, ye might have life through his name.”  (John 20:31) 
• “These things I have written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”  (I John 5:13)