I am of the opinion that the biggest barrier for a born again believer in understanding,
applying, and obeying the Bible is 99% an attitude of faith and 1% work for those who
believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God (2 Tim 3:16)! My thinking is
if we are enjoying what we do, work is no longer work anymore. Many believers use the
excuse of time (career, domestic duties, kids, relaxation, retirement [too busy
going places]), hating to read, or a lack of understanding) to justify their
failure to read and apply the Bible. Mine was simply a lack of discipline;
yeah, I was lazy and arrogant to think it wasn’t crucial for my spiritual
health like good food is to the body. I became spiritually anorexic and
vulnerable to spiritual attack because of stupidity.
But what if I told you that there are
no excuses acceptable, provided there is nothing wrong with your brain, not to
obey the exhortations and commands to read, study, meditate, apply, and obey the
Word. Let me throw out a
few verses in this regard (Josh 1:7, 8; Psa 1:2; 119:11, 15; Prov 2:1-5; Jn 14:21; Rom 12:2; Eph 1:17;
4:15; Php 3:8; Col 1:10; 3:10, 16; 2 Tim 2:15; 3:16, 17; Jas 1:22-25; 1 Pet
2:2, 3; 2 Pet 3:18).
The biggest factor that prevents us
from reading the Word, studying the Word, meditating on the Word, and obeying
the Word in the daily routines of life is rooted in the sin of pride, plain old
arrogant, stubborn pride which is at the heart of our sin nature. It is a pride
that says (and don’t miss this), “I can get by today without God’s Word; I can
get by tomorrow without God’s Word; I can get by a week without God’s Word; I
can get by a month without God’s Word; I can get by a year without God’s Word;
I can get by for years without God’s Word. I can get by for a lifetime without
God’s Word.” And it could very well be
that such people see no immediate benefit in reading the Word, and choose to
ignore or disregard it while making the claim, “I just don’t understand it,”
and yet we are commanded to read, study, meditate, apply, and obey the precepts
of Scripture. The Holy Spirit, however, takes a totally different perspective
than the “get by” crowd (cf. Rom 12:2; 2 Tim 3:16-17; Heb 4:12), and we
should, too!
Some Christians have been attempting
to live the Christian life in their own strength for years while making the
mistake of believing that material wealth is a sign of God’s blessing and
approval of their lifestyle (cf. Php 4:11, 12, 13; Heb 13:5)! Ever conversed with another
believer, and his or her ignorance of the Word became quite evident for what
flowed out of their mouth came from the vessel of the heart (cf. Jer 17:9), and
it was readily apparent that this was not a person after God’s own heart (cf.
Mt 12:34; Jer 9:23, 24)? It was more of “I
am this or that”; “I got this or
that”; “I’m going here or there,”
and ad nauseam. Oh, by the way, if you aren’t on this person’s level, they
probably will ignore or avoid you in the future as unworthy to be in his or her
presence. Saints like this are so full of self; there isn’t any room in their hearts to be filled with the Spirit or controlled by the Spirit (Eph 5:18).
Makes you wonder sometimes if they even know the Lord, just sayin’.
We simply cannot be God-centric (our
lives revolving around God in a holy manner [1 Pet 1:15, 16], for instance) apart
from being Bible-centric which means that we recognize, acknowledge, and apply
the Scriptures to our lives as the absolute authority in all matters of faith
and practice which finds expression outwardly toward others (cf. Mt 22:39).
Being God focused demands being Bible focused for the Bible is God’s revelation
of Himself to man! This connection between God and the Scripture is inseparable.
A high view of God demands a high view of
Scripture. When people try to separate the two from each other or take a
cafeteria-styled approach to the Bible, only taking what they like, heresies will grow like bacteria. There is a growing movement afoot that expects all churches,
evangelical or not, to change their position concerning homosexuality and same-sex marriages, but this is in direct conflict with the teaching of Scripture
for a Biblicist who desires to be in conformity with the truth of Scripture rather
than cultural biases.
The Bible clearly characterizes such
deviant behavior as sin, and it is in no way, shape or form, a viable alternative
lifestyle (cf. God’s destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Gen 13:13; 19:24; cf.
Rom 1:24-32). If we are not living a biblically-oriented life, we are not being
obedient nor Christlike and growing in the knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ.
Jesus never compromised the truth for grace, and evangelical Christianity
should never succumb to the pressure of becoming unlike Christ because others have
contempt for the truth of Scripture and have no problem offending God
Almighty.
There is another critical connection
that must not be overlooked; love for God and obeying the Scriptures from the
heart (Eph 6:6; Col 3:23) go hand in hand (cf. Jn 14:15, 21, 22, 23, 24; 15:10, 11, 12, 13, 14; 1 Jn
2:3, 4, 5; 5:2, 3). The opposite of this is self-centeredness, a predilection of
humanism. I don’t need to tell you that being self-centered is contrary to all
that the Scriptures teach. At the center of S-I-N is I; it’s all about me,
myself, and I, I, I, I. Doesn’t “I want” naturally flow from an entitlement
mentality!
Meism breeds independent thinking and living contrary to the teaching of Scripture (cf. Jdg 21:25), and definitively we can say that such a mindset is not the mind of Christ (cf. Php 2:5-6, 7-8) even in the slightest degree. Egocentricism for a believer is life on the broad way, not the narrow way, living on a horizontal plane (temporal-oriented, wood, hay, and straw stuff), living life “under the sun” as Solomon would characterize it rather than a vertical orientation (eternal-oriented, Bema fireproof: gold, silver, and precious stones things).
Meism breeds independent thinking and living contrary to the teaching of Scripture (cf. Jdg 21:25), and definitively we can say that such a mindset is not the mind of Christ (cf. Php 2:5-6, 7-8) even in the slightest degree. Egocentricism for a believer is life on the broad way, not the narrow way, living on a horizontal plane (temporal-oriented, wood, hay, and straw stuff), living life “under the sun” as Solomon would characterize it rather than a vertical orientation (eternal-oriented, Bema fireproof: gold, silver, and precious stones things).
There is a great opportunity for each
one of us who name the name of Christ to not only advance the cause of Christ
and bring glory to God in an extraordinary way, but to benefit our lives in the
here and now as well as in eternity. It starts right in our own backyard of the
heart. We need to go before His throne and seek His forgiveness for any trace
of independence and for any self-assertions. Once we have squared that
away (1 Jn 1:9), we apply some good old elbow grease in learning, applying, and
obeying the Word of God with the able and willing help of the Holy Spirit;
nothing would please Him more (3 Jn 1:4).
It’s hard work alright, a lifetime of wearing
overalls and rolling up the sleeves because the mind needs renewal from all of the accumulated garbage in
our heads and hearts over the years that is unwilling to submit to the
leadership of the Holy Spirit. Behind all this sweat is a labor of love (cf. Jn
14:15) because there was a greater work of love demonstrated on the cross for
us (Rom 5:8). If that doesn’t motivate us nothing will, and we lose the opportunity
to move beyond the ordinary for God.
It’s amazing how agape love can
transform effort into energy, an eager willingness; it’s similar to when we
first got married, “Honey will you do this for me?” And you said, “No problem,”
unreservedly, without hesitation. We were more than happy to do it because we
were in love…. Over time resistance creeps in that if left unchecked turns into
reluctance, then rejection. We need to be in the Word not just for information
but for transformation (Rom 12:2) to keep the new alive less we become guilty of losing our first love (cf. Rev
2:4)!
I came across a quotation yesterday
from Thomas A. Edison (U.S. inventor, 1847-1931), “Opportunity is missed by
most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” I have
linked laziness or a lack of discipline and any other excuse we use, or however
we word it, to avoid spending time in the Word back to pride, the very thing
that brought Lucifer down (Isa 14:12; 1 Tim 3:6) and a third of the angelic
host (cf. Rev 12:4, stars = angels that became known as demons) during the
insurrection in heaven. Pride is an ugly and dangerous thing when it’s
manifested and keeps us out of the Word. “Sin will keep us from the Word, or the
Word will keep us from sin,” said D.L. Moody. It’s a choice thing.
I know what you might be thinking, “I
know I haven’t spent much time in the Word, and I need to do more of it…”
Whatever you do, don’t say the word, “But!” That’s just the intro to another
excuse linked back to pride, and there isn’t any love for God in pride. Create
an opportunity to glorify God by returning to the Word on a daily basis!
Those who truly know Him love Him and
desire to spend time with Him, obey Him, enjoy Him, and
long to be in His very presence. If these desires are absent in your life, you
are living a life of getting by without the Word; it amounts to a life of “nothing”
for God and everything for self (Jn 15:5; 1 Jn 2:16, 17). Without the Word, we
have no mooring in life from which to launch and berth. How are your attitudes and
actions toward the Word? Are you just bobbing in the ocean of life, adrift, and
carried along by worldly currents? Your attitude toward the Word of God reveals
more than you might think! Do you love God (cf. Jn 14:15)?
Let me ask you a really direct question;
why would you want to spend eternity with Someone you hardly know or even
care to know if you are not God-centered or Bible-centered? You may counter,
“Well, I am not into it like you are.” “Into it” has nothing to do with it; "into Him" is everything and everything pertaining to the eternal! So
why do you want to go to heaven to be with God who you barely know or care
enough about to get to know or spend time with? Do you realize that everyone in hell as we speak had
taken the “No God” approach for their life? Now they are at a place where there
is no God and no hope for an eternity… I got saved because I didn’t want to
wind up in hell after struggling through this life. My love for Christ grew as
I grew in grace because I made a choice to know Him, to be like Him, and to live an abundant life.
The only way to move beyond
subjectivism, existentialism, irrationalism, relativism, emotionalism, philosophical
pretzels, the twisting and contorting of the truth, and the endless religious
experiences and a zillion isms that conflict with the absolute truth of Scripture, and
all the stupid things we do that are contrary to the teaching of Scriptures is
to trust and rely upon the Word as the only authority in all matters of faith
and practice. Are the Scriptures reliable and trustworthy? Let’s briefly
talk about why the Bible is so trustworthy and reliable and understandable for
those who have the Holy Spirit living within the heart and desire to know the truth.
God wants to communicate the truth about
Him and about us to you and to me, and He chose His Word as the main way of accomplishing
that task. If He didn’t help us in understanding His Word that would be defeating
the purpose of giving it, right? The Word of God is an objective, propositional
revelation (1 Cor 2:7-15; 2 Pet 1:20, 21), verbally inspired in every word,
meaning the writers used the very words that were given to him under the
superintendence of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 2:13); this is what is meant by
verbal inspiration (2 Tim 3:16), resulting in an absolutely inerrant and
reliable revelation, infallible, and literally God-breathed (theopneustos, “inspired”) as pertaining to the original manuscripts (2 Tim 3:16).
For the most part, the superintendence
by the Holy Spirit during the inspiration process was not a literal dictation
of exact words (cf. Jer1:9). God often chose to preserve the
literary style of the writers, using their words and experiences; this was
nothing short of miraculous. So we can see differences in reading the writings
of John, Peter, or Paul, yet all are God-breathed! Now, the Bible was not the
result of man interpreting the revelation given to him under inspiration (2 Pet
1:20-21). The way I understand it is that they did not use their own words in expressing their thoughts
about what was given to them by the Holy Spirit. It's nifty and a bit confusing at the same time!
Over the centuries there have been
errors made in copying the Scriptures, but there is only one-one thousandth of
the text in question and none involve any major doctrines. Bear in mind that inspiration
only applies to the original manuscripts, not the writers or any copies made
from them, and copies of a copy, and so on. No translations in existence today are
God-breathed. Some translations are
better than others of course, but there are some remarkably precise reproductions
of the original manuscripts today (It’s kind of odd saying that since no one living
has ever seen the originals, but that is what evangelical theologians tell us!),
each having its own strength and weakness occasioned by the translator’s
theological disposition or persuasion.
“Sixty-six books of the Bible constitute
the comprehensive or plenary (inspired equally in the whole or its parts) Word
of God (Mt 5:18; 2 Tim 3:16). The canon of Scripture includes Genesis to
Malachi, Matthew to Revelation. Biblicists affirm that the literal,
grammatical-historical approach to the interpretation of Scripture is the most
sensible, natural, and consistent method of understanding the truth of
Scripture under the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit (Jn 7:17; 16:12, 13, 14-15; 1 Cor
2:7-15; 1 Jn 2:20).
Though there can be multiple
applications of any given passage, there is only one primary interpretation,
and it is the responsibility of the interpreter to do justice to the text by
observing its context within the framework of the surrounding verses, of the chapter,
of the book, and of the rest of Scripture to ascertain the true intent and
meaning of the passage. The Scripture is one organic whole and thus the method
of comparing Scripture with Scripture is the best interpreter!
As Dark Ages as this may sound to
some, the Bible is the standard by which all truth is measured. That which is
contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture is a lie. The basic objectives of
Scripture are clear: reveal God to man, reveal man’s need for salvation in accepting
God’s atonement for sin through His Son, make men Christ-like in order to enjoy
fellowship with God and reach others, and prepare men for an eternity with
God. Christianity is all about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and
living out the inner reality of that relationship in the world according to His
Word on a daily basis.
I’ve said this before, but it bears
repeating; we need to learn the Word, love the Word, and live the Word all of our
days! I’m not talking about scholarly knowledge, but biblical knowledge
that is up close and personal which only comes through growing in grace in the
knowledge of Him, intellectually and experientially, supported by the teaching
of Scripture. 99% of the battle is in our attitude of faith, yes? The 1% effort is fun.
The Holy Spirit will provide the enablement and illumination to make it happen.
A cry for help from on High will get the ball rolling. It’s better late than
never; that’s me. Getting by without the Word is what the lost do; what are you
doing differently than the lost? <><
“Open my eyes, that I
may see wondrous things from Your law” (Psa 119:18).
"Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O LORD of hosts" (Jer 15:16).
"Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O LORD of hosts" (Jer 15:16).
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