“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT)
There are so many issues with which we struggle, the answers for which can be found in the Bible. When we need an attorney, accountant, repairman for any number of problems, we often take the word of a loved one or friend who recommends someone they have used and whom they trust. Why can’t we follow the same principle when it comes to the Bible?
Pastor Rick Warren wrote: “When Jesus talked about the Bible, he would often base his argument about the truth of the Bible on a single sentence or even a single word from the Bible. He believed every single sentence, every single word of Scripture. So if you trust Jesus, why wouldn’t you trust the Bible?” Pastor Rick goes on to say: “Jesus believed in some of the most disputed stories in the Bible, particularly Noah, Adam and Eve, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Jonah. People who think that the Bible is mostly good stories that didn’t really happen always point to those four stories. If Jesus really believed in Jonah, then you should too. I don’t know how God created a fish that could swallow a guy, but it’s in the Bible, so he did. I trust in the Bible because Jesus trusted in it. You should too.”
In my experience some of the fiercest critics of the Bible have never read it, or at most have picked out “proof texts” to seek to discredit its message. One of my Seminary Professors said: “A text taken out of context becomes a pretext.” That basically means we can make the Bible say most anything we want it to say if we remove it from its original context.
For example, in Matthew 27:5 the Bible says Judas “went out and hanged himself.” And in Luke 10:37 Jesus said: “Yes, now go and do the same.” That’s what the Bible says in two separate and distinct contexts, but to pull them out of their original contexts and put them together, you get something the Bible never said. False prophets have done a similar thing in pulling texts out of their original context to lead many very good people down some very wrong paths.
Recently, I was introduced to a wonderful resource written by Greg Stier, tying love and the truth of God’s Word together to address a very current issue. Please click on his name and check it out, especially if you have a child or grandchild in your life.
Greg wrote: “The Bible is His (God’s) primary way of explaining to His creation—to all humanity—who He is, who we are, and how the world works. Since the whole universe can be considered God’s ‘house,’ His rules—as outlined in the Bible—apply to everyone. In other words, the Bible is humanity’s instruction manual. And it’s clear on issues of identity and sexuality. We’re all born as slaves to our flesh—which encompasses our genetics, hormones, natural instincts, and sinful desires—and into a sinful, fallen environment—which includes abuse, unbiblical ideologies, and more. But the amazing news of the Gospel is that when we trust Christ, His Spirit frees us from that slavery and enables us to live in God’s ways—no matter what caused our sin to begin with.”
If you profess to be a child of God and haven’t yet begun to read and study the Bible regularly and in earnest, how do you ever expect to grow into a mature believer? The Bible is nourishment for your soul as food is for your body. To profess faith in Christ and not love His Word is a contradiction. The Bible is our primary instruction manual in learning who Jesus is, why He came to earth, and what plans He has for us as His followers.
To discard the Bible as outdated or unimportant is to miss our most valuable resource for Christian health and living.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 