CoffeeSwirls

Open Theism and Idolatry

Before I owned a copy of "Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge, I had only the vaguest notion of what Open Theology was all about. In a nutshell, Open Theology teaches that God is not sovereign and does not control, nor does He know, the future. I learned about this dangerous misrepresentation first in a stern warning from the pages of "Gettin' There" by Steve Farrar. I'll quote for you a bit of what Farrar says to expose the dangers of this belief here:

Let me direct you to a post from Why I Am Really Here that summarizes Open Theology quite well. Open theism is more than just the belief that you can't rely on God. It is the belief that God is not worthy of your worship.

This brings to mind another evil in this world that thrives in it's subtleties. That evil is idolatry.

Habakkuk 2:18-20
"Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, 'Come to life!' Or to lifeless stone, 'Wake up!' Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it. But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him."

Those statues were about as sovereign as the god an open theist worships, or rather, claims to worship. Sure, in their context God is not viewed as powerless, but neither is he in control. A person has a give and take relationship with God, and sometimes in a disagreement, the person may be shown to be correct, for they don't view God as infallible.

A God that changes is much more frightening than an idol. Since I'm discussing idolatry, allow me to give my definition of it beyond some image or statue.

Matthew 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Isaiah 11:2-4
And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him--the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. He will delight in obeying the LORD. He will never judge by appearance, false evidence, or hearsay. He will defend the poor and the exploited. He will rule against the wicked and destroy them with the breath of his mouth.

Those are just two examples of the worship of the Lord. The questions that go with them are many, though. What do you seek with all of your heart? Where do you find your comfort? When the chips are down, where do you turn for your oasis in the wilderness? What do you praise above all in your heart? Fortune? Sex? Laughter? Pride? Anger? Sports? That "new car" smell? A vacation to see Mickey Mouse? Tickets to Wrestlemania? Do you fear the judgment of man over that of the Lord?

I have judged myself and found that I was wanting. Many of the above examples have been idols to me at one time or another. I'm not saying that we shouldn't enjoy a ball game or long for a trip to get away from it all, but where is God on the marque of your life? Is he in big bold letters or is he considered a warm-up act for the real show? Do you buy a ticket to see your show for God or for those things that have been earned by your own efforts?

When you break down idolatry, you find that you are essentially relying on yourself to meet your desires and needs. Wouldn't the same be true of worshiping a god who is not all-knowing and not sovereign? Could open theism be just another way to practice the idolatry of self pride because it salves the spiritual wound to name that idol "God?"

An open theist doesn't rely on God. To them, God is little more than the shifting sands. beneath their own self-sufficient feet. They believe He changes based on whims, both His and ours, not unlike the idol which takes shape in the hands of a craftsman, God changes his mind based on an open theist's decisions in life, or that's how the story goes. This philosophy may sell a lot of books, but at such a terrible cost!

When an open theist stands before God and is asked why they should enter the eternal kingdom, their answer must begin with these two words, "Because I." I rejoice for the fact that is is not up to me to earn or retain my salvation. I rejoice that my future is guaranteed in the loving hands of an unchanging God that knows tomorrow's trials in my life and has had a plan for my life since before the beginning of time! I rejoice that I worship an unerring God.

If God makes mistakes, oh open theist, to you I ask you one question? How many mistakes are there in His holy book that you claim to follow?

And to anyone who wants to follow a book such as "Wild at Heart," I beg you to read this article about that book written by a solid Christian man. I cannot write any more about the book than what I have mentioned here. I read a few chapters, but the filth of open theism and the stench of the romanticized lies in that book caused me to throw it out in the trash along with my Zen companion. The two books looked perfect together at the bottom of the trash bin.