HEADWATERS

One of the dirtiest things you can look at is a river that flows through cities, hundreds of miles from its source. It is filled with sewage, garbage, factory wastes, oils and chemicals. As it passes on through humanity, more and more pollution pours into it.

Trace the river back to its source and what do you see? Pure sparkling water, a fresh spring bubbling from the ground clean enough to drink. But when men get finished with it, the river becomes poison.

This is how it is with the Christian faith. Trace it back to the source and what do you find? A clean pure river of life and love, flowing from God Himself, to quench the thirst of those who are parched with a spiritual desire.

Since Jesus said, "It is finished," and the message was delivered to men, something has happened. Human nature has thrown foreign objects into this river. We have polluted the life-giving Gospel message with our theories, our craftiness and our egotistical murmurings.

A river flows from the mountains fresh and clean into our cities. It comes out the other side murky and unfit for human consumption. The river of spiritual knowledge flows through the world right from the very source, God's Word--the Bible. It flows out pure and clean, but then it flows into our colleges and universities and comes out many times polluted. Doubt is thrown into it; scoffing and skepticism is dumped freely into it; atheism and the new morality release their putrid flowings into the pure message. Slowly the stream is made unfit for any thirsty soul to drink.

Out of the Bible, the source, the headwaters, the pure and beautiful stream bubbles forth and on it passes through humanity. Carnal theories from thousands of men are cast into the waters. Theology has been dumped into it; rationalizings are strewn liberally into its currents. Many a river has been spoiled when men tried to make it work for them, and this river is no different. Men have tried to change its course and make it flow in the way they want it to. The river was meant to change men, but men are changing the river. The message of life was meant to be drunk in its purest form, but men are changing it to suit their own needs.

But what do you have? A polluted stream far removed from the pure water at the source.

What is Christianity?

Someone says, "Look at the message and this will tell you what it is." But when you look, you see the mingling of a thousand ideas. You see a murky, murky river. There is only one thing for you to do . . . go to the source; take a trip to the headwaters. The far left has thrown its liberal garbage into the river and the far right has dirtied the stream with its contentious, continuous bickerings. A thirsty soul hesitates to bend and drink from what it sees flowing forth today. Men are looking for a drink of life. The stream is contaminated. The cry of the longing heart goes up to heaven and the answer comes back from God Himself, "Do not drink from the pollutions of men. Go to the headwaters, go back to the source!"

Centuries ago Paul the apostle went into Galatia preaching the Gospel of grace and faith, the pure message of God. Many drank in his words and received spiritual life and many believed in eternal life. Then Paul went on to other places and the pollution began. Men heaped their carnal counsel into the pure message. They made it murky with their opinions and theories about the law. Soon it became harmful for men to consume.

Christians were becoming frustrated and confused. They had sipped of poison waters. Paul wrote them a letter and you can read it. It is the Epistle to the Galatians in the New Testament. The apostle said, "There be some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Christ" (chapter 1, verse 7). Paul was telling them, "Your troubles have come because someone has polluted your stream." In the rest of the Epistle one central lesson stands out--go back to the source: drink from the headwaters!

What is the source of love and grace, this basis of our relationship with God? It is not a theory or a rite that a man can perform and gain grace. It is none other than Jesus Christ, our Lord, a Person. Paul called them back to the Person of Jesus. His cry was, "Stop swallowing pollutions and look to Jesus!"

In chapter 1, verse 4 of Galatians, we see Jesus "who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God our Father." In chapter 1:6 we see the grace of Christ. In chapter 2 we see Christ who justified us. We read in verse 16, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." In chapter 3:13 we see Christ the liberator, Christ who redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. Don't forget that! Many have, some evangelicals have. Christ redeemed us from sin, yes, but He also redeemed us from the curse of the law. Verses 19-21 in the same chapter show us Christ the mediator, the giver of life and the giver of righteousness. In verses 26-27 we see Christ the unifier, the equalizer... you are all one in Christ Jesus. In chapter 4:6 we see Christ who makes believers a part of the family of God and heirs to salvation. In chapter 5 again it is Christ the liberator. "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free." In chapter 6, Christ who makes men new. Someone polluted the Gospel stream in Galatia and Paul sent them a drink from the headwaters.

What a refreshing difference! The message of men usually puts the emphasis on self-effort, on the trials and struggles of the human being. It sets impossible goals before us and then says, "DO IT!" The message of men makes us very aware of our short-comings, very aware of our weaknesses and extremely self-conscious. Then it leaves us a spiritual tightrope to walk, a hundred or more religious things to do and scruples to follow. In this we are supposed to find release from the haunting curse of our own natures but it never works. It just never works, and we only become more and more frustrated and aware of our own selves.

But Paul sent a drink from the headwaters. His message made us conscious of God, of the love of God, of His mercy, His truth, His power and His presence with us. Drink from the polluted stream and you are filled with cursings and bitterness. You curse your own weakness, you curse your own failures, your own lack of strength. You see yourself as someone who will never, never make it. Drink from the headwaters and you are moved to praise and thanksgiving because you realize that He is the strength of your life. You are accepted because of Him, because of His grace, because of His mercy. Your heart is moved away from self-condemnation to deep thanksgiving to God. Drink from the headwaters and visions of eternity fill your heart. Drink from the headwaters and you begin to see beyond the veil of death. Drink from the headwaters and fear releases its grip on your mind. Peace settles in upon you.

Troubled people, hear me! Look away from yourself today and look to Jesus Christ. You who are so frustrated in your religion, listen to me! Stop your religious gymnastics and human exertions for a while and look to Jesus. He is the author and finisher of your faith. Look away from the endless strife and the complex arguments! Look away from dead old dogmas! Look to Jesus, the Person of Jesus, and forget ancient traditions for a moment. Stifle that sensitive and defensive spirit that causes you to flare up so concerning your religious beliefs. Stop all that empty, fruitless sort of thing for a while and look simply to the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus who was nailed to a cross, suffered, bled out His life and died for our sins; Jesus who was placed in a borrowed tomb and rose from the dead to be the firstfruits of them that slept. God Himself spoke from heaven and said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him" (Matthew 3:17). Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life: he that cometh to Me shall not hunger and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst" (John 6:35). Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12).

Whoever you are, whatever your problem, I tell you that if you will go to Him, you will never be the same again. Take your Bible and read the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Read the words of Jesus. Let His words become a part of you; let His thoughts become a part of your thoughts. Let His life flood into you through His Word. Think about what He said and pray about His words.

Some of you reading this may think that I have given a very over-simplified answer to your problems. You will shrug off this advice and you will continue in your dilemma. Others will act upon this word, and will take a trip to the headwaters and will drink from those pure waters daily. Visions of hope will inflame your heart. Faith you never dreamed possible will take root in your innermost being. Strength, not of this world, will undergird your life. You will know the joy and benefits of drinking from the unpolluted stream.