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‘Retro’
Is What It’s About The
automotive industry has had a
fascination with the "retro" look in the last decade or
so. Beginning with Volkswagen's New Beetle, manufacturers started looking not
only to the future for automotive design, but also looked back to
see where they should go. From that thinking, we got a few cars that were a
product of the desire to incorporate a "retro" look — either drawing
features from older, successful cars [the Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers],
or simply designing the vehicle to "look" old [the PT Cruiser and
Chevrolet's SSR and HHR]. For some older folks, the "retro" look
reminds them of "how things used to be" and they enjoy pointing out to
the younger crowd that these "new" cars weren't really so new, but
just updated versions of automobiles they knew "way back when." The
thought behind the "retro" look has been used in other products, such
as kitchen appliances, furniture, and even residential and commercial
architecture, but the reasoning is pretty much the same: give people something
familiar and something that reminds them of how things used to be in simpler
times. It is that very thinking that keeps the Arts and Crafts and
"Shaker" furniture popular — styles that never seem to go out of
favor. The design always goes back to the basics and simplicity is the key. In
spiritual matters, "retro" is a good thing. And by "retro" I
don't mean simply making things look like things of the past; I
mean making things exactly as they were in the past. You see, that
is what God wants from His people! When His will and plan for our
salvation was revealed, the words spoken were of divine origin and, logically,
approved by God. The words that the inspired apostles and writers gave to the
listeners in the first century A.D. were what the people needed to hear and obey
if they were to be pleasing to God, and those are the same words the obedient,
faithful ones obeyed and then taught to others. It was that gospel which was the
power of God to salvation to all who believed (Rom. 1:16).
Unfortunately, since time when the original gospel was preached and the original
church was founded, man has sought to "improve" on the message of the
gospel and on the organization of the church and the result is the confusing
religious mess we now have, the just-as-confusing messages all purporting to be
of God, and the various organizations that all claim to be the Lord's church but
which look nothing like the original. In the realm of spiritual matters, it
would be like parking a Ford Model T next to a Ford GT; not only are they not
even the same car, but they are worlds apart in capabilities, design, and
purpose. And
just about now, someone is thinking, "Exactly! The message needs to be
updated to keep up with the times, just like those cars needed to be updated and
modernized! The church needs to adapt to the society in which it exists and use
whatever means necessary to attract interest and retain members! The original
church is the Model T — outdated, slow, and unable to accomplish what the GT
can do. Nobody buys that car anymore, and no one buys the old ways in religion
anymore, either!"
There is just one major flaw in trying to make the analogy fit: these cars are
products of man's limited knowledge, which has certainly increased and improved
over the last century, but which is still far from perfect; God's plan from
the beginning was based on perfect knowledge [you can't get any better
than perfect] and it needed no "improvement" or updating
or adaptation to society in order to work. While automobiles have progressed
greatly over the years, that progress came because man's knowledge increased;
when God instituted His plan, He had perfect knowledge and the
plan He had was, therefore, perfect and the organization of His
church was, therefore, perfect. It needs no
"improvement" [certainly not by imperfect man], it needs no
"updating" for it to work, and it is man that needs to do the adapting
to God, rather than God adapting His church to mankind's whims and wishes.
Think about these things with me: Created
by the Perfect God. Who would argue that the message is flawed or the
church's establishment, organization, and purpose were imperfect because the one
who conceived these things was imperfect? Who? Who will say that God's message
of salvation needs some "additions" and "tweaks" today
because God just didn't think of everything that man would need or He didn't
conceive a plan that would stand the test of time? I will not
argue this, for it would mean our God is less than perfect and I cannot believe
that, based on what I know about the Creator of all things (Matt. 5:48).
Adam Clarke said it well in commenting on this passage: "God Himself is the
grand law, sole giver, and only pattern of the perfection which He recommends to
His children." The
Perfect Plan. Who could conceive a plan by which all men could have an
opportunity for salvation from their sins, spared from the wrath of God for
their transgressions, and still have a punishment enforced which would settle
the debt — all in one act? Could man conceive such a plan? Certainly not! It
would demand one with perfect knowledge to conceive such a plan, and that is
exactly the case because it was God who conceived, established, and executed His
plan to perfection! In the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins, God became the
visible perfection of justice and mercy in that He was “just and the
justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26). The price
was paid for our sins and yet we still could be forgiven of them! Perfect! The
Perfect Sacrifice. But for that plan to work, there had to be a perfect
sacrifice offered — and what could man offer that could claim to be perfect?
The blood of bulls and goats could not take away the sins of man by one offering
(Heb. 10:1-4), for the people living under the Old Law had to make such
sacrifices continually [a new one each time they sinned]. It was not until Jesus
appeared in human form, lived a sinless [perfect] life, and died on the cross
[in perfect obedience to the Father's will] that the plan could be perfectly
executed. And hear these words: “By a single offering He has perfected for
all time those who are being sanctified” (Heb. 10:14) A perfect
sacrifice made perfect those who humbled themselves to believe and obey the plan
by which they could be saved. Perfect! A Perfected People. Many misunderstand what God means by this, and more so when mere mortals try to explain it and teach it, but the church is made up of perfected people. Notice I did not say "perfect" people; it is more correctly understood that the church of Jesus Christ is composed of perfected people; that is, we come to a state of spiritual perfection not by being sinless or by never making mistakes, and certainly not by earning it somehow, but by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ and by our obedience to His will. Because of Christ's perfect sacrifice, when we obey [and not until then], God does the work of making us “alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses” (Col. 2:13). Because of what Christ did, we “become the righteousness of God” (2nd Cor. 5:21). That is to say, we are made perfect! Now, what does this all mean? First, we should note that though man's inventions and creations often need updating and fine-tuning, what God established [His plan and His church] needs no improvement and needs no "help" from man. It is shameful to hear brethren now speak in terms of doing "what the church cannot" — as if it is somehow imperfect in its organization, purpose, or its capabilities. Second, let us ever strive to make sure that we are doing things the way God originally intended, and not following after man's so-called "improvements." —— Steven Harper |