Uncertainty Now Considered Supreme Form of Christianity

We live in a new era where absolute certainty is reserved for a movie review or the quality of your creme brulee.  Our faith no longer has such a resting place.  If we land anywhere in the state of Nevada, we're close enough.

Scripture smacks of certainty.  From a child, you can know what it teaches.  It's more sure than eyewitness testimony.

What's the benefit of an unsure word?  Scoffers walk after their own lust.  The benefit, if you could call it that, is lust.  Men have their desires and the Bible conflicts with them.  There is a sweet spot where enough uncertainty in scripture will harmonize a church with the world, now considered a supreme form of Christianity.

Is it that the Bible really is uncertain, or is it that the Bible's gotta be uncertain?  A biblical certainty is no longer acceptable.  FDR said the only fear is fear itself.   Now the only toleration is toleration itself.

How could uncertainty reign?  Doubt allows.  If you can't be sure, you can't enforce.  And by now it's had decades to develop its arguments.

One, humility.  If you know, you're proud.  You think you're better than everyone else.  When you point out error, you're  scorner.   The superior uncertainty is being called epistemological humility.  Nothing better than telling someone you're not sure, even if you are, just to make the point that you don't know. At least, I think.  I can't be sure.

Two, certainty caused postmodernism.  That's what I've been told.  Certainty is more responsible for chasing men into postmodernism than any other single cause.  The postmodern emergent gatherings are full of Christians disabused of certainty.  This is the counsel of Daniel Wallace.  You want to ratchet down your thoughts about inerrancy to spare from shipwreck when you hear the errors we actually know of.  Did I say "know of"?  We're uncertain of truth, but know error.

Three, uncertainty is catholic.  True catholicity disregards unanimity for unity around a limited number of doctrines.

Four, certainty flattens doctrine.  If you're sure about almost anything beyond the gospel, you've devalued the gospel.  You're sure about the gospel and almost anything else is negotiable.  More than that and you've relegated the gospel to a lesser place, and it requires first importance.

Five, most application of scripture is above that is written.  That means most application of scripture can't be dogmatic.  By being uncertain about application, you elevate what is written.

Six, isolationism.  A high degree of certainty will isolate you.  And there's no verse, but doesn't it seem obvious that isolation from a majority of churches is wrong?

Seven, pragmatism.  Uncertainty is pragmatic.  It works.  The less certainty, the more welcoming.  Little is excluded when much is doubtful.

Eight, mockery.  False accusations, ridicule, and marginalization are most effective.  They work the best.  They don't prove anything, but those listening to you will see their future in the treatment they see you experience.  2 Peter 2 talks about the self-willed speaking evil of dignities.

Nine, freedom.  I recently heard that your freedom might be license, but it's better to know license than to stay in bondage, as long as it means you will experience freedom.  Certainty erects barriers that box you in.  Jesus sets free and here's freedom.  They've got to be cousins, at least.

Ten, grace.  As Chuck Swindoll wrote, 'Why can't you see God in a pair of bermuda shorts?"  This isn't grace, but it is a version of grace used as an argument.  It's essentially the proverbial get-out-of-jail-free card.

Lust and uncertainty are not strange bedfellows.  They aren't strange.  They are bosom buddies.  For people to be in charge and stay in charge, God can't be.  Nothing will unseat God more in men's minds and actions than uncertainty, the now supreme form of Christianity.