The Importance of Following God’s Code

In the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, a reporter discovered one house standing firm on its foundation amid the devastation and debris. “Sir,” the reporter asked the owner, “why is your house the only one still standing?”

“Well sir,” the man replied, “I built this house by myself. I built it according to the Florida State building code. I was told that a house built according to code could withstand a hurricane, so I did, and it did! I suppose no one else around here followed the code.”

Tragically, many people today are not following the code as laid out in God’s Word, the Bible. Yes, we may be braced for the more obvious sins of life. Yet we may be completely oblivious to the more subtle sins of deception and false teaching that are so prevalent in the so-called new spirituality today—and even in many of our churches.

This is why it is important to know the foundations of our Christian faith. We are, for all practical purposes, studying theology! The Christian writer, C.S. Lewis, gave this warning, years ago: “If you do not listen to theology, that will not mean that you have no ideas about God. It will mean that you have a lot of wrong ones.”

The apostle Paul reminded young Timothy, “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:16).

When Jesus walked on the earth, He guided and taught His disciples. They could talk and listen to Him, gaze upon Him, and even reach out and touch Him. But on the day Jesus ascended into Heaven, He told His disciples that He would lead and guide them in an entirely new way—through the Holy Spirit (John 16: 7–15).