“That’s the Way, Uh Huh, Uh Huh, I Like It”

“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24).

Okay, so it’s been a few years since KC and the Sunshine Band had a number one hit with this song back in 1975 here in the United States. It also went to the top in Canada and the Netherlands—and charted in several other countries as well. No, this article is not about the song; it’s about the philosophy. We all have preferences—things we like and things we don’t like. That’s only natural. And we can differ on our personal tastes. As Dr. Pepper advertises, “Different is good.”

Therefore, I don’t mind that the people at the dinner table actually like green beans; I figure that their strange taste buds allow me to have more of the good stuff, such as turkey, mashed potatoes, or pecan pie. I have actually met people who do not care for chocolate. Okay. No problem. All the more for people who really appreciate it. I’ll swap chocolate for green beans any day of the week.

Fortunately, for most of us in America, we get to have our druthers—even before KC came along. Is it a positive or negative thing, however? If we took a vote, we would probably insist that it is positive and that we wouldn’t want it any other way. Many people, historically, and even today, don’t get many choices. Their diet may include only what is available, such as rice or soup beans and cornbread. Steinbeck mentioned fried dough in The Grapes of Wrath.

Most people do not have the variety of the things we eat and take for granted on a daily basis. “So what’s wrong with that?” Nothing is wrong with it per se, but it may lead us to think that we should have numerous options on everything, from the cars we drive to the careers we choose. In many cultures, a son grew up quite often to have the same occupation as his father. Whom to marry might also have had limited options, especially if the marriage was already arranged by parents. We surely appreciate all the choices we have in a variety of matters.

The problem is that we think we have a choice in religion. Say, what a deal! We can choose to be religious or to have no religion at all; more and more people are choosing the second alternative. As we look around, we see several world religions—Christian, Muslim, Buddhism, Hinduism—or one of several smaller groups. Even within the “Christian” religion, there are several sects. Unfortunately, many are choosing religious groups to fit their fancy.

If they like traditions and ceremonies, they may well choose to be Catholic. If they like a continued emphasis on emotionalism, they may desire the energy of Pentecostalism. If they want something traditional but Protestant, several denominations can accommodate them. If they want entertainment, they can attend Northland in this area, but most any metropolis will have its equivalent. Some like elaborate musical performances, dramas, or things of that nature.

The problem with “that’s the way I like it” in religion is that God didn’t provide any of those choices. One would think that one day, at some point in the history of the world, God spoke to man and said, “I’m throwing religion open to everyone; select what you like. I know you all are different (after all, I made you) and are attracted to various ideologies and practices. Go with make makes you feel comfortable.” And all the people answered “Amen.”

The only problem is—God never did that. He wrote down His expectations for the descendants of Abraham, a man He had selected and made a covenant with. He even told him, before his son Isaac was born, that his descendants would dwell in a foreign nation but come forth from it in the fourth generation. So, when Jacob (Israel) and his family went to dwell in Egypt, they were greatly favored by Pharaoh, but over time they became enslaved. Sure enough God brought them out with a mighty hand.

What Law Did He Give?

What did God reveal to them in the way of theology? Did He tell them, “Say, you can keep worshipping Egyptian deities; I won’t mind”? Umm, no. Maybe He said that they could serve any of the local gods when they got to Canaan? No, He actually told them they could not worship idols. However, they must have thought He told them to choose their own god, because that’s what they did. They worshipped Chemosh, Ashtoreth, Baal, and others. God immediately proved to be narrow-minded in His thinking. He punished them by delivering up foreign nations to conquer them until they repented, but then they did it all over again. Eight hundred years later this insistence upon religious choice was still ongoing; so He let them go into captivity. It cured them.

God had delivered His people out of slavery. He therefore had the right to make laws and require obedience to Him. They could not choose to be atheists nor worship the idol of their choice with impunity. God gave them His holy laws. If they rebelled, they paid a horrible price; then they repented and returned to the one true and living God.

What About Today?

We did not see the plagues done in Egypt, nor did we pass through the Red Sea on dry ground. We did not see Pharaoh’s army destroyed, nor did we see the walls of Jericho fall down. We are long removed from these events. So does God permit us to just choose whatever we like today? No, despite other world religions, there is only one that is authoritative today. God saw to it that the evidence regarding Jesus of Nazareth was recorded so that we would have access to the truth. The Bible contains numerous fulfilled prophecies, as well as dozens of miracles that Jesus performed. No other religion contains these.

What prophecies and miracles are listed and verified in any teachings of Buddha, writings of Hinduism, or in the Qur’an? Muhammad made one self-fulfilling prophecy, but which book has hundreds of them written four or more centuries before their fulfillment? What God proclaims in giving us the Bible is that this Book constitutes truth. If it taught that individuals could select a religion “the way we like it,” that would be fine, but it does not.

The Bible teaches that all of its Scriptures are “given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). It does not teach “whatever” theology but says that the broad way is the road to destruction (Matt. 7:13-14). “What? You mean I can’t select my own morality?” No, God had already determined what comprises moral behavior, and He revealed it to us. Just as He gave it to the Israelites in the Old Testament, He has set forth His laws of moral and ethical behavior in the New Testament (Matt. 15:18-20; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Cor. 5:11; 6:9-11; Gal. 5:19-21; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; Rev. 21:8). We don’t get to decide these issues; it’s not our right to do so.

What About the Church?

“Well, surely I get to pick the church I like best and the style of worship that appeals most to me.” Sure, you do—as soon as you give your life for the church, as Jesus did, and as soon as you’re as wise as God, Who has revealed what correct worship is. “Wait a minute! I like certain things.” Is that, uh huh, uh huh, right? Let’s see if we can explain this point further.

The Scriptures, our only authority in religious matters, say that Jesus purchased the church “with His own blood” (Acts 20:28)! He died on the cross that people might be saved from their sins; He therefore has been made Head over His body, the church (Eph. 1:22-23). The church belongs to Him; hence, congregations of the Lord’s body are referred to as “churches of Christ” (Rom. 16:16). Although many congregations might be scattered all over the world, He still died for only one church (Eph. 4:4; cf. 1:22-23)—His!

He did not die for a religious group begun by men within the past 500 years, but rather He died for His church which has existed since the first century. We must know the truth concerning what the Bible teaches on this matter. Truth, not personal preference, is all-important here. Not only did the wise King Solomon command, “Buy the truth, and do not sell it” (Pr. 23:23), no one today can be saved without a love of the truth (2 Thess. 2:10).

Another application of this principle is that it doesn’t matter what we think about worship; what matters is what God says. Those who have never studied very closely what happened regarding Nadab and Abihu owe it to themselves to go to Leviticus 10:1-2. It should be read four or five times—at least once aloud. Look at every part of the passage, particularly noticing what it was that they did wrong. Didn’t God have the authority to determine what He wanted in worship? He also has that same authority today.

Jesus did not die on the cross so that we could be entertained. He did not suffer great agony so that we could make worship about ourselves instead of Him. He did not leave heaven to be humiliated, scorned, and rejected by men so that we could be impressed by rituals. He did not shed His blood so that people could run up and down the aisles of a meeting place like they were at a health club—or so they could laugh for two hours, fall backwards, jump around, or sound like chattering magpies. He wants us to have salvation from our sins and to be dignified in our worship!

What we should determine when we visit people offering up worship to God is, “Is the truth bring presented from God’s holy Word? Is there respect for the Scriptures and reverence for Jesus the Christ?” (In other words, is He honored by the Lord’s Supper?) Past personal preferences are irrelevant. Only what is taught in the Bible is significant. We engage in worship in a certain way—not because it’s the way we decided to do it—but because it’s the way He likes it.

Additional Thoughts

The fact that it is necessary to emphasize truth in today’s society suggests that the concept no longer is valued by the majority of Americans. The lack of interest in what is actually true is confirmed in several ways. In opinion polls, more than 90% of citizens admitted to lying. What does that mean except that we do not value truth? Apparently, most of us have so little regard for our own integrity that it does not bother us if we deal dishonestly with others.

We become more upset when others lie to us, but even then we have grown to accept those situations. Political figures lie to us continually, making promises that they know full well they cannot keep. Even when they speak in public they deny the facts that everyone knows with the idea that maybe they will get away with it—at least, among their supporters. King Saul tried that tactic, but Samuel refused to let him get away with it.

God told Saul to kill all of the Amalekites. He did not. God told him to kill all of the animals. He did not. What he says to Samuel serves as Classic Spin. He meets Samuel the prophet and says, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord” (1 Sam. 15:13). The prophet chose not to argue with Saul (“No, you didn’t”; “Yes, I did”). He simply asked a question: “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” (v. 14). It’s hard to deny physical evidence which all can see and hear.

Samuel swiftly established that Saul had disobeyed what God had told him to do. Having been proven a liar, Saul now resorts to spin: “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed” (v. 15). First of all, notice that, even though he is king and responsible for leading the nation, he blames it on “they,” “the people.” The one who is in charge of the nation is the one who must bear the blame when God is disobeyed.

Second, saying that they brought the animals back with them to sacrifice to God is beside the point. This rationalization might work with various political pundits or a flattering news media, but Samuel was not impressed. He answered: “Be quiet! And I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night” (v. 16). The problem was that Saul had lost his humility and had been lifted up with pride (v. 17). Samuel then made it clear what Saul’s mission was and that he had disobeyed it (vv. 18-19).

Remarkably, even after Saul was shown to be a total fraud in this matter, he still insisted that he had “obeyed the voice of the Lord” (v. 21). A message on a T-shirt says something to this effect: “I’m always amazed that, when some people speak, their pants don’t actually catch on fire.” If Saul had been wearing pants, they should have ignited.

Samuel then went on to say that even the spin that Saul used was faulty. The Lord delights more in obedience than sacrifices (v. 22). The prophet then pegged the behavior for what it was—rebellion against God (v. 23). At long last, Saul confessed that he had sinned, although he still blamed it on the people (v. 24).

However, it is not only politically that we are lied to; we settle for them in personal relationships. Fleetwood Mac did a song called, “Tell Me Lies.” The singer says that she will “settle for one day” in which to believe in her “love.” She begs him to tell her lies, sweet little lies. Is that the way we really like for things to be?

Perhaps we have become so accustomed to Hollywood’s version of reality that we are willing to settle for that over truth. Remember the advertisement for the first Superman movie with Christopher Reeve? “You will believe that a man can fly.” It certainly looked like it, although we know that wires were used. But Hollywood’s illusions do not stop with special effects. They also change the facts of certain events when it suits them.

In the past two years, at least two “true stories” have been altered. One switched the gender of the hero because they thought the story would work better. Another current movie changed the details of what actually happened so much that those who were actually involved in the incident protested what had been done. We saw earlier this year how that even The Bible (as shown in a 5-part miniseries on NBC) was assaulted by rewrite after rewrite. By the time it was completed, accuracy was clearly a casualty.

Why don’t we clamor for truth? Why don’t we insist upon it? Is it that we see so much error that we just don’t care because sifting through the errors seems a useless and daunting task? If we don’t mind being lied to and are willing to accept any version of an event as true, then no wonder we don’t care about what someone tells us spiritually. If someone says we can be saved by “faith only,” the response of many (who do not know what the Scriptures actually teach) is: “Sounds good to me.” Do we really think that will work?

No wonder there are so many cults and different religious denominations—people do not care what they have been taught. If it was truth, fine, if it is a hodgepodge of goobledegook, well, that’s okay, too. Have we never been impressed with the fact that Satan is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44)? Do we not remember that it was the lie he told to Eve that got her to sin, followed by her husband?

Honesty should be a top priority in our lives. We must first be truthful with ourselves and then with others. Second, we ought to expect to be told the truth by others, as we are determined to speak the truth to them. That means that when politicians, celebrities, Hollywood, or some religious figure speaks, we will check to make sure that we have heard the truth. This requires effort on our part, but it is well worth it. Our salvation depends upon it (2 Thess. 2:10).