Faith 2.0 or How To Ruin Something That Started Out So Right

We live in a world up “updates” and version numbers associated with applications and software. My favorite program of all time, Adobe Photoshop, is now on version 12.0.4. What that means is there has been 12 major versions with literally hundreds of updates over the last 25 years since it was created by Thomas Knoll. The way this all works goes something like this:

1. Create a new app (software program)
2. Beta test the app with people who are willing to give input into refining the app
3. Sell it to as many people as possible
4. Fix glitches and “fine tune” the program to work better as time goes on through version updates, patches, and fixes.

So when you hear something like, “Man I love my Windows 95!” you can respond with “Dude, get with the times! We’re on Windows 8…you’re like 10 versions and 15 years behind!” I personally would say something more like this, “Windows…really? When did you become an accountant. Buy a Mac already.”

OK, so why the explanation of how the world of computer programming works? Today I was reading Galatians 3. I love this chapter because Paul slams the church in Galatia with one of my all-time favorite lines in the bible:

“You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” Gal 3:1-3

Bam! That was a smack in the face. So here is how Adobe Photoshop and the Bible collide: The Galatians started out their faith in Jesus founded completely on faith. However, the decided to upgrade it and created something of a “Faith 2.0” that obviously, from how Paul calls them out in Vs. 3, they were mixing faith with law (works). The original version wasn’t good enough and somehow it became tainted and confused. It’s like the original version wasn’t good enough so they began to make version updates to better suit their needs.

Bad idea.

This is just as applicable today as it was 2000 years ago when Paul kicked them upside the head with his pen and parchment. Do you remember that day you asked Christ into your life? It was a beautiful and simple thing. It probably went something like this: I’m lost in my life until I met this man Jesus. So I give it all to him in simple and pure faith. Just like a child, I outstretch my arms and ask you to be my father.

However, perhaps you have been bewitched! As you grew in your faith, maybe there were some experiences in life that caused you to begin working on a new version of faith that better suited your circumstances. I think we do this because we begin to feel that “simple faith” is too simple and childish—we need to salt and pepper it with some good works. Works feel good because you can “do something” to earn more favor and grace (that’s a lie). However, Paul was explicit about how wrong this is. Today as you think about your faith from when it began until today, ask yourself where you have made version updates to better suit your preferences. Ask God if those updates where His idea or your own. Test them against His word (The Bible). Check your facts and figures, so-to-speak. Go back to the original download CD and make sure that it’s not just as good now as it was then.

The Apostle Paul would have loved a MacBook Air with an Epson Powerlite LCD projector running Keynote! Just saying.