Skip to main content

The Word of God

 

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, (II Timothy 3:16)

“If you love me, keep my commands.”  (John 14:15)

 

          A third of the fundamental ideas of Christianity is that the Bible is the Word of God. Some who criticize this assertion quickly point out that claiming that the Bible is the Word of God because the Bible says that it’s the Word of God is circular reasoning. By itself, it is not evidence that the Bible is the Word of God, and more than a bit of drivel that I write becomes a Shakespearian sonnet just because I put his name on the page, or any more than my putting Stephen King’s or Brandon Sanderson’s name on my novel would make it a best seller.

          There are books on this subject, and I can’t possibly do justice to it all here. But there is one point that seems obvious but is somehow missed by most of us. If we believe the Bible is the Word of God, we should pay close attention to it, study it, build our lives around the principles it teaches. That is what is meant by being a Christian. We may not be able to be perfect about it, but it should be our goal in all that we do, and our failure to do so should disappoint us deeply.

          Consider what would happen if, in the middle of a game of Uno, someone announced, “I don’t like the rules to this game. I want the winner to be the person who has collected all the cards in the deck.” I don’t know how such a game would be played, but I know this: the game would no longer be Uno. In the same way, those who want to change the rules of Christianity, to reject Scripture as the Word of God aren’t Christian. I’d say they aren’t necessarily bad people, but if they claim they are Christian, they are either mistaken or lying. And if they are trying to convince others to reject the Bible as the Word of God (and therefore authoritative in the life of a Christian) they are doing evil even if they have good intentions. Whatever they are being, it is not Christian. To claim it is, is evil, whether they intend it to be or not.

          And what of the Christian’s response to the Bible as the Word of God. Should we not turn to it with enthusiasm, to find out how to better live in accordance with its teachings? How often do we, instead, approach it with fear, trembling, and perhaps resentment, expecting to find yet another impossible standard that we’ll spend the rest of our lives failing to meet? Yet another reason for us to be praying for our attitudes, and the attitudes of those around us. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal 6:10)   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.   By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)           Joshua grinned when he saw Rex standing by the door, studying something on the ground. "Hey, man! Are we ready to do this thing?"          Rex looked up. "Josh, I can't do it. We're still best buds, but I can't stand your fiancée."           I've met "Rex" many times. I've been Rex. Joshua (Jesus) loves the Church. He's not a fool. He knows the Church is far from perfect, but she is His chosen bride. The Rexes of this world, who think themselves His friend, turn away from her. "You don't need the Church to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ssssssubmmissssssionnn

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ . (Ephesians 5:21)             "Ssssssubmmisssssssionnn." Can't you just hear the serpent hissing this most horrible of words? If you listen to the serpent or the world, submission means groveling, allowing yourself to be abused, denying yourself your own humanity. Nothing could be worse than submission, could it?             Submission has never been a problem for me, as long as things are going the way I want them to. The rest of the time? Well, let's just say that while I don't know how to fight physically, I don't know how to not fight mentally. One of the fights I've been having with myself for years is about submission.             My first breakthrough took place on a trip to a bookstore. As I walked into the store, my thoughts were very clear. 1) I was goi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shark Fins, Triple Dog Dares, Heroes, Villains and Sidekicks

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)            There's a scene in Jaws in which someone sees a shark fin and starts a panic. As   all the swimmers scramble to shore, boats surround the fin, which falls over to reveal two kids. With several guns pointed at them, one of the kids points at the other. The message is clear: it was his idea. In Christmas Story, there's a scene in which one kid "triple dog dares" another to do something stupid. Since it's a triple dog dare, well, what choice does the boy have? There doesn't seem to be any end to the trouble that peer pressure can cause. ...
Post a Comment
Read more