What is 'convenient faith'? It is a faith that shows up or comes up in conversation only when it is convenient for accomplishing the agenda of the day. In the past few weeks, I have noticed a few notables in our culture who seemed to throw their faith around when it is beneficial. One covered up a symbol of Jesus and then proceeded to quote Jesus in his own speech. Another threw out his Southern Baptist heritage and his belief in death bed conversions in a response to a prominent politician changing political parties very late in his career.
Lest anyone think this is a political message, they just happened to illustrate the point on the national news. I also heard a homeless person in our city throw out multiple religious / Bible phrases in an attempt to relieve someone of some money. Then I heard a pastor throw around some 'out of context' scripture phrases to justify his position. The reality it, culture gets their prompting to use a 'convenient faith' mostly from the church.
However, what put me over the edge...and prompted me to write this...was a sign in our community. It is one of those new digital billboards (which I think is pretty cool). One of the messages on it this week has been a partial Bible verse: "All things work together for good...Rom. 8:28" What an encouraging and positive quote for those who drive by.
However, it stopped without saying the rest, "...for those who love God and are called according to His purpose." It is a pretty convenient faith that believes the first part (from the billboard) without the truth of the rest. I'm not saying that the person who put the words up on the screen lives a convenient faith. However, we are pressing toward avoiding anything expression of faith and truth that would potentially cause a conflict.
Believing in God, having faith in God, and loving God inherantly entails accepting the truth that this God is and proclaims...all of it. It is a convenient faith that believe only the parts that help our cause or helps us to gain favor with others. What does convenient faith lead to? I believe it leads eventually to having no allowable expression of real faith and truth.
As I look at the Bible, it is full of people who could not afford to have convenient faith. Like many around the planet today, their faith was grounds for persecution and possibly death. They could not afford a passive phrase choice in the middle of a speech or conversation.
This past weekend I had the privilege of hanging out with some of my heroes...missionaries. Many of them cannot afford to possess a 'convenient faith'. As I watch what is happening in the world today...and even in our own country...I am wondering how long it will be before 'convenient faith' even dissappears because its concequences? And when that happens, how many people will be left who have the courage to express true faith?
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