Christian Cliches Have I Hid In My Heart...
- Justin Ray
- Jun 24, 2022
- 4 min read
Matthew 5:17-18
Far too many church people can quote more "Christian cliches" than they can quote scriptures. Cliches are not necessarily bad, so long as they agree with scripture. Far too many church people are building their doctrines off of cliches, rather than God's Word. This is a very dangerous practice. The Psalmist wrote, "Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You" (Psalm 119:11). Today we have the philosophy, "The Christian cliché have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you". There is just one problem, many of these cliches are not based on scripture.
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”
Matthew 5:17–18
I do want to consider one specific cliché today. The reason being is that it is not inherently wrong, but a false idea of evangelism (the spreading of the gospel) has sprung up around it. This specific cliché is "Love them to the cross". Did you know that "love" and "cross" are only found in one verse in the Bible? That verse is Mark 10:21 in which Jesus looked on the young man with "love", and told him to take up his "cross" and follow him. This cross was not the cross on which Jesus died, but rather the cross on which the young man was to sacrifice his own will upon. No longer could he be the god of his own life, and seek to save himself from his own sins. It was the death of the old man pictured in the immersion part of baptism, which would culminate in the resurrection of the new man pictured in the ascension out of the water in baptism.
Today, people use "Love them to the cross" to say that we should not preach against sin. Why? Because preaching about sin is not loving. It does not make people feel good. However, if we do not preach against sin, we ignore a significant amount of the scriptures. Sin is what got Adam and Eve cast out of the garden. Sin is why the world was destroyed in the flood. Sin was why Ham was cursed. Sin was why the languages were created at the Tower of Babel. Sin was why Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. Sin was what estranged Jacob from Esau. Sin is why Joseph was sold into slavery. This is not an all-inclusive list, and it is only the first book of the Bible.
The law was given to warn of us sin. This covers Exodus though Deuteronomy (4 books). The rest of the Old Testament is either history of Israel breaking God's laws (sin), or God sending messages of repentance from sin by His prophets. In the New Testament, John the Baptist preached against sin. Jesus preached against sin. They both called out specific sins. This is why John was beheaded. Peter called the Jews to repentance by telling them of their sins. Consider these two verses:
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
Acts 2:36-37
Here are 3 quick points:
Peter called out their sin (murder of the Son of God).
The Holy Spirit convicted them of their sins
They asked, "What shall we do?", meaning "What shall we do to be forgiven of our sins?"
In Matthew 5:17-18, Jesus said that He did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. He also said that while Heaven and Earth would pass away (in their current forms), His Word would never pass away. God's Word is eternal. Paul said, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).
I want to leave you with one final thought, that is the words that Paul left the elders from Ephesus when he knew that he would not see them again.
“And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.”
Acts 20:25-31
Father, may we hide Your word in our hearts and not place anything else above what You say. May Your word be a light to our feet, may it keep us from sin, and may it be the standard by which we judge all things. Thank You for giving us Your word. You did not want us to be ignorant as the Apostle Paul said. We are without excuse, so may we not choose to be ignorant to what You have said.
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