Why Truth is Vital: A Call to Repentance
When we study the Bible we are not just studying ancient history. What we are studying is God's authoritative Word on how He expects us to live and operate His Church.
Most churches claim to believe and practice the Bible. But many of their practices, constitutions and by-laws are far from being biblically sound. For example: The Catholic Church recently released its second edition of the Catholic encyclopedia. It consists of 15 volumes, 12 million words and 12,000 articles from over 4,000 scholars.
And what is the purpose of this massive work they are so proud of? They say it is “an authoritative summary for every important Catholic topic in theology, ethics, worship, history, social trends and biography.”
In other words this man-made document has become their Bible. This type of work is completely unnecessary since God’s Word is sufficient to govern our lives and the church. Not only is it unnecessary but it’s forbidden in the Word of God to do any such.
Rev. 22:18-19 “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”
It seems to me that a 15 volume encyclopedia would be in the category of adding to the Word. Of course the Catholics don’t believe the Bible has authority over the Church anyway. They believe that the Church has authority over the Bible.
We Protestants are no different in this regard. Our libraries and bookshelves are lined with commentaries, books and tapes that claim to give us a “fuller” understanding of the Word of God. Some of these are helpful aids in research and application, but far too often their authority is equated with the Bible itself. In many cases books by popular authors are read and consulted far more often than the Word of God. This is the same thing that happened to the Jews of Jesus’ day. Their traditions and commentaries had become their guide and authority rather than the Holy Scriptures. Like them, we too have allowed man’s books to interpret the Bible for us.
God has given us His Word and that is what we should live by. He is fully capable of running His church from the Source Document without human “improvement” on it!
According to the Bible, the Holy Spirit gives a person understanding of the Scriptures. And Jesus taught that the truth of God’s Word would bring us to unity (John 17). On the contrary, man’s many interpretations of the Bible have done more to divide the church than to unify it. The world’s church seeks unity at the expense of truth. There is a major push for unity among professing Christian organizations today. They call for a de-emphasis on any doctrine that might cause division. Their cry for “tolerance” drowns out the truth of God’s Word on many subjects where He is intolerant. (See 2Cor. 6:14-18)
The fact is only the absolute truth of God’s Word can bring unity to such a diverse people. The truth of God’s Word has both the power to unite and to divide. The Truth is divisive among those who are unwilling to submit to the authority of Holy Scripture. At the same time, it is a powerful unifying force among those who believe and submit to it. The reason we don’t agree on what the Bible says is because we are so locked in to our personal opinions, traditions and erroneous beliefs. We are unwilling to honestly consider that we may be wrong.
Many churches today are almost completely devoid of the truth of God's Word. What little of it remains is often twisted and perverted to suit the desires of the people. This is done primarily by taking verses out of context and attaching some strange meaning to them without considering the whole of Scripture.
It should be the goal of every Christian church to be truly Bible based and Spirit led. Therefore, it is absolutely vital that we learn what the Bible really says. The Word of God is meant to govern every aspect of human life. In it are the keys not only to true happiness and fulfillment, but also to pleasing our Maker. It not only blesses us, but also corrects our thinking and our behavior. 2 Tim 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
All too often people hear and understand what's being taught, but in their minds think "Yeah, but." In other words they take exception with God's Word and do not intend to obey it fully. Only when it suits their purpose do they obey it. But, if we believe that the Bible is God's authoritative Word for our lives this approach is not an option. God's Word is not just a bunch of suggestions—it is what He requires of His children.
It's obvious that God's way goes completely against the grain of today's modern society. In fact it always has and always will. He didn't say that we are strangers and aliens in this world for nothing. He literally meant that His way and our new life is completely contrary to everything that our natural selves and the world around us believes and does.
If we are truly born-again we must come under His lordship, and that means bringing our lives into alignment with His Word. To do that we must learn what His Word really says.
Many churches today seem to view the Bible as outdated, irrelevant and certainly nothing to be taken literal. The fact, however, is it is always current and always relevant. Man has not changed. We need today just what everyone who has ever lived needed. And God provides it in the Holy Scriptures.
Our old self probably will not like or agree with most of God's Word. But Jesus said we must deny our self take up our cross and follow him. The new life that is planted in us by God loves His Word and seeks to live it. As Christians we must never allow our personal opinions, traditions, culture, emotions, or anything else to rule our thoughts and actions. We are to be governed solely by the Word of God.
When a church claims to be a Bible based church, they must truly put into practice, both in the church and in their personal lives, “every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” We don’t get to pick and choose what we will or will not believe or obey. We don’t get to modify what the Bible says by our own personal preference, private interpretation, or tradition. We must be doers of the Word and not merely hearers. James 1:22 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
Let’s take a glimpse now into some of the dangerous practices the modern church has succumbed to and what happens to those who “will not put up with sound doctrine.” (Click below to continue with page 2)
