Public Opinion or Gods’ Word?

“You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you bear witness

at a trial so as to side with a multitude to pervert justice.”

Exodus 23:2

 

When I was first born again I remember a preacher quoting this –

“Show me with whom you walk and I will show you who you are.”

Now you won’t find that in scripture although the principal is certainly there.

I would change that just a bit to read this way –

Show me whom you admire and I will show you who you are.

We talked yesterday about authority and the fact that we all have authorities in our life, sometimes more than one.

Certainly many people make current or popular culture the authority in their lives.

They ‘admire’ and follow cultural trends as ‘gospel truth’

Many states have legalized same-sex marriage.

Certainly it is ‘culturally acceptable’ so why oppose it?

Two states have now legalized the sale and use of ‘recreational’ marijuana.

I guess it’s culturally acceptable so why oppose it?

Society seems to be moving closer to assisted suicide.

Again, if it becomes culturally acceptable should we oppose it?

  Of course, for Christ followers, the answer to each of these questions

is as we had discussed yesterday.

God’s Word is the final authority.

Cultural ‘norms’ are a poor barometer for followers of Jesus Christ.

Just because everybody’s doing it, does not make it right.

Your mother might say it this way:

If all your friends are jumping off a bridge are you going to jump too?

We try to convince ourselves that if the majority accepts something it must be true.

The problem is that God never bases/based truth on majority rule.

Truth is truth even when no one follows it!

Will you be that one who won’t bow to cultural authority?

Will you allow God’s Word to have the final say in your life?

Which will you follow – public opinion or Gods’ Word?