“Now, this picture shows an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) front bumper for the vehicle. For comparison, here is an after-market part, which at first glance looks like the OEM part, but is much cheaper. However, a detailed comparison will show that the OEM part also has a much higher density, is made of a different material, and weighs considerably more than the after-market part. The OEM product also has these reinforcing ribs....”
Bob, a longstanding member of our church and senior manager for a major automotive company, was invited to give a talk about automobiles, and it took little time for him to dive into his particular area of expertise. He convincingly demonstrated that there are certain parts of the automobile that should not be replaced with cheaper, after-market products because the inferior quality and specifications of these may prove costly in the long run, particularly in case of accidents, when these parts play critical roles in protecting the vehicle occupants. In case anyone remained unconvinced, Bob concluded this part of his talk by producing videos of low-speed front end crash tests comparing OEM and after-market bumpers. The OEM bumper temporarily deformed to absorb the crash impact, but remained intact, recoiled back to its initial appearance, and would have fully protected the vehicle. On the other hand, the after-market bumper shattered into small pieces upon impact, and would have resulted in expensive damage to the vehicle and possible injury to the occupants. Another concern that was not immediately apparent in the video demonstration is that the vehicle's air bags are synchronized with impact sensors to discharge at precise moments in a crash, thus altering the bumper may potentially cause the air bag to fill at the wrong time and cause additional injury.
It is human nature to tinker with things to suit our own needs. Sometimes the alterations are quite trivial, such as a new skin for a mobile phone or laptop, or decals and racing stripes for a brand new Hyundai or Chevy. I unfortunately learned that other changes are associated with more serious consequences, as my notebook computer recently sputtered and ground to a halt after I tried to install an incompatible anti-virus suite. Thankfully, I was able to bring my computer back to life using the system restore utility, and eventually acquiesced to staying with the pre-installed software.
In the same way, we also have the innate tendency to tinker with God's word. Sometimes we try to enhance it with verses that do not exist. The saying, “God only helps those who help themselves” is completely inconsistent with biblical teaching, and cannot be found in the Bible; however, it has been quoted so commonly that even some who profess to be Christians think that Jesus said it. Other times we remove parts of God's word, at least in our minds, and replace them with modifications to suit our own concept of God. Some deny the presence of miracles, and claim them to be either inauthentic or misunderstood. For example, they may claim that Jesus didn't really feed the five thousand – he simply gave a rousing sermon using the boy with his five loaves and two fish, and those in the crowd who brought food were moved to share with those who did not, so everyone had something to eat. Muslims categorically deny that Jesus died on the cross, because they believe that Allah would never allow one of his prophets to die such an undignified death.
By tinkering with God's word and building a “new and improved” god who is loving, but stripped of sovereignty, power, knowledge and justice, those who do so are also counting on this “after-market” god to carry them through life's difficulties, only to learn that it shatters upon impact when crashes in life inevitably happen. Instead of everlasting joy, transcendent peace, perseverance through trials, intimacy with God, and compassion for those in need, they cry, “How can a loving God allow evil and suffering to happen? Why are my prayers not answered when I pray for God to heal my child's cancer? Why did my business fail when I asked God to bless my work? I cannot believe in a God who is unfair....”
Are there any “after-market” parts in my understanding of God? The answer lies in studying God's word, desiring its truth, and not inclining to replace it with ideas that seem more palatable to my own nature.
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)
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