Dear Friends

Have you ever wondered at how much we assume we know?
Some years ago a child won four goldfish at a school fete. The next day the family went out in search of an aquarium.

The first few they came across were all too expensive, but finally ‘dad’ found a tank at discount price, being second hand. It was a ten gallon tank, complete with gravel and filter, the only trouble was that he would have to clean it, it was filthy. When he got back, he spent two hours cleaning it, and the fish really looked great in their new home. “See there’s nothing to this aquarium business” said dad proudly.

The next day one fish died, the following day a second died, and by day three all four were dead. Dad finally called in an expert, his next door neighbour who had kept fish for years. It turned out that he had killed the fish by having washed out the tank with soap.

This true story reminds us of how much we assume we know and how those assumptions can be so very wrong. The dad assumed he knew what to do, in fact he assumed so much he failed to ask for any advice at the shop when he bought the tank. He only called in help when it was too late.

The fact is that in this life we assume many things; we assume ‘the doctor knows best’; we assume that when we call ‘the boiler man’ in to fix the central heating, he will carry out the necessary gas safety checks; we assume when the electrician is called in, he will check the earth wire is correctly positioned etc.etc.

But as we read this we can all think of examples in the press where such assumptions were totally wrong and lives were endangered or even lost. Reality and personal experience tell us we assume far too much!

The same is true when it comes to spiritual matters like salvation and future judgement; punishment and reward. Every week clergy come across individuals who ‘assume’ they are Christians, or who assume that God is well pleased with them. Every week they come across individuals who assume that they know all that needs to be known about God and that ‘they have no worries in that department’. With such people it comes as quite a shock when they are confronted with the reality of what God actually does say in the Bible. Here are a few verses which have made people reflect on their past assumptions.

Hebrews 12: ‘Pursue holiness because without it you will not see God’.

Philippians 2;’Work out your salvation with fear and trembling’.

Galatians 6: ‘Let each person examine their own life for if anyone thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he is deceiving himself’.

Hebrews 4: ‘God discerns the motives of the heart and there is no creature hidden from the eyes of Him to Whom we will give an account’.

Matthew 5: ‘Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees you will by no means enter the Kingdom of Heaven’.

Scripture is full of such verses to challenge our false assumptions and to awaken our conscience. Often today people assume that ‘God is love’ and nothing but love, they assume that any suggestion that God requires them to change their conduct and their lives is somehow outdated or old fashioned.

The hard truth is that they couldn’t be more wrong in this assumption. God says in Scripture “I change not - be holy as your Father in Heaven is Holy”. God does indeed require something from us all – repentance, obedience and holiness of conduct – to assume anything different is a false assumption. Let us make certain that we are entering by the narrow gate, because wide is the gate and broad is the way that will lead to punishment and misery.

Your pastor and friend