Why is it, if you tell someone they will go to hell for murder, no one bats an eye; but if you tell someone they are going to hell for lying, suddenly you’re an extremist?
Why is it when two people argue about whether or not the Kansas City Chiefs have ever been to a Super Bowl, the answer can be looked up and the argument settled; but if two people argue about something spiritual, the answer can be looked up in the Bible but neither side will concede?
What ever happened to common sense?
“Common sense” is essentially this God-given ability, developed by our culture and environment, to recognize the right course of action on the face of it. In other words “some things just seem to be the right thing to do or believe, and often are.”
We use common sense so much in life we don’t even think about it. If we have to pick up something that is very large, we tend to brace ourselves because such a thing seems like it will be heavy. Whenever someone yells “heads up” we don’t typically look up. Why? Because that’s how a flying knife nicks our throat. Instead when someone yells “heads up” we tend to cover our heads and duck. Why? Because common sense says something bad is flying through the air.
So why don’t we apply common sense to the Bible?
When a parent tells his child “stay inside” and five minutes later the child is out playing in the snow, the parent has every right to be upset. The child might argue “but you didn’t say NOT to go outside…” and for that, parents, the child deserves a spanking for sass. Why? Because common sense (in the form of what is called “implied law”) told the child not to go outside; the parent didn’t have to spell it out for him.
Yet if you tell someone that Jesus said “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he that does not believe will be condemned” people will argue. They will say “yeah but Jesus didn’t say “…he that does not believe AND IS NOT BAPTIZED will be condemned!” and for that the person deserves a spanking.
Why does common sense go out the window when we talk Bible with people?
Because people would rather be wrong and comfortable than be right and awkward. No one wants to be told they’re wrong, and even though you can show people the pictures of Armstrong on the moon there are still those who say we never went and the earth is flat. Even though you can look up the wikipedia article about Super Bowl IV there will still be some stubborn Raiders fan who won’t believe the facts in front of his face. Usually, those are people in the very small minority, however.
In religion, on the other hand, it’s the vast majority. The philosophy is “I’m okay, you’re okay, let’s be different and stay okay!” And while that sounds nice, it’s no way to go through life. If we disagree, either one of us is wrong, or we both are. Either way, it might be a good idea to apply some common sense to the Bible and start taking the words of Christ at face value, eh?
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mark 16:16
Have a great day!
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