Tossed about

that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, - Ephesians 4.14

I remember reading a book not to long ago by a somewhat noted Christian author. He was writing about how we need to stop putting such an emphasis on hard line doctrine. This writer was telling us how we need to be flexible on doctrine. Doctrine is like a trampoline. It is there, but it must bend and stretch to suit our circumstances.

We have a trampoline in our back garden. The grandchildren, their parents, and even sometimes Grampy plays on the trampoline. I can see the picture of being tossed to and fro on the trampoline. Nothing is stable, everything bounces about. That kind of thinking is exactly the opposite of what Paul writes here. Paul says that we must have an anchor of stability in a storm tossed world. It is not enough that the doctrinal storms are out there - it is made worse by the trickery of men and it is made worse by the 'cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.'

The problem with this trampoline analogy is that not only are trampoline's unstable, but somebody else is bouncing it under our feet. 

In these troublesome times and with all this opposition we need to stay anchored - not jump on a trampoline. We have our anchor in Christ.

Hymnwriter Priscilla Owens wrote a great old hymn based on Hebrews 6.19 (This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,)

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,

When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?

When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,

Will your anchor drift or firm remain?

We have an anchor that keeps the soul

Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,

Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,

Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love.

It is safely moored, ’twill the storm withstand,

For ’tis well secured by the Saviour’s hand;

And the cables passed from His heart to mine,

Can defy the blast, through strength divine.

It will firmly hold in the straits of fear,

When the breakers have told the reef is near;

Though the tempest rave and the wild winds blow,

Not an angry wave shall our bark o’erflow.

It will surely hold in the floods of death,

When the waters cold chill our latest breath;

On the rising tide it can never fail,

While our hopes abide within the veil.