Here is an excerpt from an interview with Dr. Ravi Zacharias. Although this was not the main topic of the interview, I wanted to share the following because I have noticed this trend myself and I think he described it well.
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DD: What about the individual who once upheld Jesus’s teachings but has chosen a lifestyle—and I use that term very broadly— that is contradictory to the Scriptures and yet professes to be happy and still a Christian?
RZ: Sort of moving away from the community of faith but still claiming to have faith but is not pursuing Christ?
DD: Yes, or engaging in a life that clearly would be contradictory to Scripture and Jesus’s teaching.
RZ: Yes, you see that, and it basically tells you that the person has done a masterful job at duping themselves. That’s really what it tells you. I mean, take it in any other vein—suppose you do that in your marriage. “I really love you; you’re my spouse. I’m really committed to you but don’t ask me where I am every night until midnight.” Or, “Don’t expect me to treat you with respect. Don’t expect me to be kind to you, but I want you to know that I really love you.” Who would buy into something like that? Who wants to be loved that way unless you yourself have become cynical in the process? So to say, “I love the Lord”—the Bible talks about bringing forth fruits that are in keeping with repentance. And if you don’t bring forth that kind of fruit, then what you say about repentance is nothing more than theoretical. So a person like that has done the ultimate job of picking their own pockets. If your life is not in keeping with your profession, then your profession is fake. There is no other explanation for that. So such a person will sooner or later start looking for intellectual reasons to renounce their faith so that they can be comfortable with their lifestyle. And that’s where many go.
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Partly to blame for the above trend are the many religious teachers who do not encourage people to ask questions and pursue a direct relationship with God . . . but ultimately the choice is our own. Presenting an oversimplified “believe and you’ll be saved” message without directing anyone to deeper understanding hasn’t helped, though. I am thankful for teachers like Dr. Zacharias who DO encourage people to think and who aren’t afraid of the questions that will ultimately come as a result. God wants us to question because he wants us to understand.
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RZ: Now somebody may say, “Look, I’m not in that extreme. I try to do things right. I honor my family. I do this for my children. I’m not a hedonist per se; I just enjoy the good things of life.” I would say to you ultimately you will look for a reason for all of this—not just the fulfillment. Fulfillment itself is never sufficient reason because anybody can be fulfilled by doing opposite things. So what you have to find out is the reason that you come together when you love your family, when you’re doing your work, when you’re home with those who need you is because God has made you in his image and there is something essentially sacred. So break this idea that you don’t need God. You need himfor the answers. You need him ultimately for your own pursuit of meaning and for your family.
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I also thought this statement was beautiful: “How do I find legitimacy? By recognizing the sacred. The beauty of Jesus is something we really need to uphold before people: his warmth, his care, his ethos, his ethic. When you see a troubled person, help them. When you see a person hurting help them. So I think the gospel is beautiful.”
The rest of the interview entitled, Engaging the Happy Thinking Pagan can be read here.
