The Gall of Man

Men today don’t want God to be their pilot; they want Him to be their Uber driver. They want to tell God where to take them, what route He should take, the pit stops He should make, all within an acceptable timeframe that they’ve allotted Him.

We say we want Jesus to take the wheel, but we want to be the ones to determine the destination. When He says He cannot take us where we want to go, we throw a hissy fit, leave Him a bad review, and declare to the world that we have abandoned our faith, lost our religion, and disavowed Him as Lord and King.

Every few weeks I get a new article in my inbox about some pastor, preacher, musician, or self-titled artist who has renounced their faith, who has decided to go public about walking away from Christianity, because it was their determination that their god would be more tolerant regarding sin than the God of the Bible.

They are distressed and altogether apoplectic that the God of the Bible is not beholden to them, that He will not bend and bow and scrape to their every whim and desire, and that He will not change even at the threat of losing a treasure like a guitar fiddler who wrote a hymn for Hillsong.

The gall of some people is just stunning. To demand that the God who declared He changes not change to suit your peccadillos then throw a temper tantrum when He doesn’t, is arrogance and conceit that rises to the level of lunacy itself.

How delusional does someone have to be? How self-important and pompous, self-aggrandizing and venal to demand that the Creator of all that is, both seen and unseen, compromise His holiness because you are unwilling to break ties with your sin?

Sorry to break it to you, but God is not some sleep-deprived Nigerian trying to ingratiate Himself to you in the hopes of getting a tip at the end of your ride. He is not some pandering politician telling you everything you want to hear just to get your vote.

So yes, I’m sure your god is more tolerant, more open-minded, more inclusive, and more understanding. I’m sure your god will overlook the sin which the God of the Bible condemns and demands you repent of, but your god can’t save you. Your god is an illusion, a projection, a lifeless thing you created because you love your sin more than you ever loved Jesus.

Repent and be saved, or don’t. The choice is yours, and you will have to live with the consequences of the choices you make. The rules apply to everyone, equally, whether rich or poor, talented or not, two thousand years ago or today. Just know, that no matter how long you hold your breath, or how incensed you become, it will not alter God’s standard.

No one gets to serve God on their terms. No one ever has, and no one ever will. To think that you will be the exception, to think that God will amend His Word for you because you have charisma, or because you can reach the youth, is gall heretofore unseen. 

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea Jr.