Do you believe the Bible is true?

Several years ago I read a book that was entertaining as well as provocative. The Year of Living Biblically  is the story of a man, A. J. Jacobs, Jewish by birth but not religious, who attempted to observe every commandment in the Bible in the most literal fashion possible. His experiences are hilarious but not disrespectful of the text.  He sums up his year with a discovery he never thought possible; that there is a world of the holy, the ‘other,’ that can enrich life even if it flies in the face of what the majority would call ‘rational.’ In his words - “I'm still agnostic. But in the words of Elton Richards, I'm now a reverent agnostic. Which isn't an oxymoron, I swear. I now believe that whether or not there's a God, there is such a thing as sacredness. Life is sacred. The Sabbath can be a sacred day. Prayer can be a sacred ritual. There is something transcendent, beyond the everyday. It's possible that humans created this sacredness ourselves, but that doesn't take away from its power or importance.”

I am a Biblical man. The holy text shapes my worldview, forms my ethics, and defines the Divine for me. Paul’s words to Timothy are written for me. "You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 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 3:15-17, NLT)  The holy Word commands me, rules me, challenges me, and comforts me. And, sometimes, I am confounded by what I read, too! 

There is a movement, largely reactionary and based in a kind of fear, that has retreated to a kind of Biblical literalism that requires the ‘true believer’ to abandon his mind to the ‘truth’ of the Word.  Every word is to be understood as literal; well, until it isn’t! Even fundamentalists acknowledge that passages like this one - "You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!" (Isaiah 55:12, NLT) – are metaphorical.  I am not aware of any Christians who are prepared to invoke Leviticus when their son is rebellious and hand him over to the elders to be stoned to death. "If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother, and his blood will be on his own head." (Leviticus 20:9, NIV)  And there would be a lot of dead fundamentalist preachers if they held to the next verse - "If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death." (Leviticus 20:10, NIV)   I am not making light of the Scripture.  I am trying to make the point that using simple proof texts or reading words without context, study, and the help of the Spirit can lead to some strange conclusions.

So how do we read the Bible for all it’s worth?

First, we need a deep reverence.  God gave us the Scripture and we receive it as His work.

Second, we need real humility. I don’t stand in judgment of the Bible, it judges me. To say, “I don’t agree with that passage” and to discard it as irrelevant to life or as untrue, is the height of arrogance. A Christian does not stand in judgment of the Bible. The Bible judges him!  To say, “I am trying to find the meaning and application of this passage,” is completely different from saying, “I don’t accept it.”

Third, we need to be careful students. "Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 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 2:14-15, NIV)  Our study is not about learning how to debate the arcane points of eschatology. (If you don’t understand that line, don’t worry about it. Those who do will know what I mean!) Study is about learning the whole of the Bible so that the Spirit makes the revelation our guide in life.

Fourth, we must be aware of how we are dragging our cultural ideals to the text.  I was amused by the re-interpretation of Genesis in the recent film, Noah.  In that movie, the great sin of humanity was not rebellion of against God but rather their failure to respect the Creation. They lived in cities and ate meat. The ‘righteous’ ones were humble earth dwellers and vegetarians. Current ideals about environmentalism and respect for animals got read back into the text.  That is not to say that the Bible is silent about caring for the earth. It isn’t! But, that was not the point of the Noah account.

Fifth, we approach the text with faith and prayerfully.  To read the Bible as literature is an adventure in missing the point. The holy text comes from the mind of God and we need the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and minds to receive the Word in its fullness.

Biblical Christians will live counter-culturally. The calls to serve God, to deny Self, to live for eternity and not for the present, to love and forgive even our enemies are in direct conflict with accepted wisdom.  Sometimes what we learn from the Bible will create convictions that will shape our lives in ways that bring hatred our way. Let’s respond as Christ would – quietly accepting the rejection for His glory.  And let’s not become noisy, confrontational, fundamentalists who largely miss the point of the beauty of the Word.

"How can a young person live a clean life?
By carefully reading the map of your Word.
I’m single-minded in pursuit of you;
don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted.

I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart
so I won’t sin myself bankrupt.
Be blessed, God;
train me in your ways of wise living.

I’ll transfer to my lips all the counsel

that comes from your mouth;

I delight far more in what you tell me about living

than in gathering a pile of riches.

I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you,

I attentively watch how you’ve done it.

I relish everything you’ve told me of life,

I won’t forget a word of it. "

(Psalm 119:9-16, The Message)

Earning the favor of God

In my conversations with a young man it became clear that he was deeply religious, a good guy who wanted to please God. He had made a long list rules that must be kept if he were to be a ‘good Christian.’  His ‘faith’ was about fear, not love. If he was not ‘good enough,’ he was convinced that bad things would happen to him, that God would judge him.  The most tragic revelation was that he had no real assurance that Heaven was his eternal home.  He knew the story of Christ and the Cross and believed it, but only in part it seems. His focus was on his own perfection, not on the gift of grace.

John is surely not the first person, nor will he be the last, to confuse living a holy life with loving God.  We are conditioned by cause and effect, taught that we earn rewards by performing well.  God’s grace challenges what know ‘must be true!’  Paul calls us to the real Truth about knowing God. "Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. … For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die." (Galatians 2:16-21, NLT)

That last line captivates me. If I could keep enough rules, govern my behaviors, be good enough on my own for God to accept me, then the Crucifixion is meaningless.  Something happens to people who come to Christ too often.  They are desperate in their guilt, feel ashamed, and have no reason to believe that God loves them.  The Spirit reveals God’s love to them, they see the grace of the Cross and accept the gift of God. Then, gradually, as the ugliness of their failures fade, their focus slips from what God does to what they do.  Loving Jesus becomes ‘going to church, not cursing, giving offerings, governing lust …’  it is an ever-lengthening list. Paul challenges that kind of thinking with a sharp rebuke. "Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?" (Galatians 3:3-5, NIV)

Do some abuse this message and live carelessly in disobedience? Yes, they do.  In response we are tempted to turn to religion and damnation in the hope that we might ‘scare the Hell out of them.’  It works, for a while!  Fear is a very effective motivation in the short term.  Love, however, is what actually changes our hearts. We can never will ourselves to true holiness, never put enough restrictions on our hearts to become perfect. The miracle of grace will make us joyful Christians and the Spirit will lead us to genuine goodness.  The Bible says that "Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. … My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness." (Galatians 5:1, 16, The Message)

Are you trying hard to please God, Christian?  That’s a great desire.

But, how are you attempting it?   IF you depend on rules, accountability, shame, guilt, or fear you will slip into ‘the gospel of sin management.’ (Dallas Willard’s phrase) You will never live freely, never know the real assurance of loving acceptance that is the birthright of those who are God’s children by faith. 

Look to Jesus!  Set your hope totally on Him. Abandon all hope that you will ever be ‘good enough for God’ on your own.

And the life of the Spirit will fill you, accompanied by the evidence of His gift of grace.

Meditate for a few moments on the Message paraphrase of this summation of the Gospel.  Then, go live freely in Christ Jesus!

"But what happens when we live God’s way?
He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity.

We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way.

Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.

Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives.

That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original."

(Galatians 5:22-26, The Message)

________________

I Stand Amazed (My Savior's Love)

I stand amazed in the presence

Of Jesus the Nazarene,

And wonder how He could love me,

A sinner condemned unclean?

He took my sins and my sorrows

He made them His very own.

He bore the burden to Calvary

And suffered and died alone.

When with the ransomed in glory

His face I at last shall see,

'Twill be my joy through the ages

To sing of His love for me.

How marvelous, how wonderful,

And my song shall ever be!

How marvelous, how wonderful,

Is my Savior's love for me!

Charles Hutchinson Gabriel

© Words: Public Domain

Trained for God's holy best

Selah, my little grand-daughter, is at that age when independence starts. She wants to do things by herself. She has learned how to say, “No.”  She knows when she is saying something that her Dad has told her not to say. Commendably, her parents are working on discipline. At age three, what she does is often cute and not very ‘bad,’ but she will be a teenager in a few years. At this time, it would be easier to just ignore her choices to disobey and laugh at her cuteness. After all, who enjoys a round of tears or making a little girl take a time-out?   I loved seeing their loving discipline which is not harsh but aimed at bending her will without crushing her spirit.

Selah caused me reflect on my relationship with my Heavenly Father. When God presents me with His will, do I question, delay, or resist?  Or, does He find a ready obedience in me because I know and trust His wisdom?  Paul urges us to “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.(Philippians 2:12-15, NIV)

The transformation of the Spirit brings about a deep desire to do what God wants us to do. Yet, the internal fight rages on, some days more intensely than others. God says, "Love that person!" We want to comply, but some part of our old nature says, "I don't want to!" God says, "Trust me with that situation and let Me work it out for you." A part of us believes that and wants to hand it over to Him, but another part of us says, "NO! I'll work it out my way! I know what I want."

Do you realize, child of God, that the joy of the Lord, the fellowship of the Spirit is found in ready willing obedience?   Beyond the blessings of God, there is another complication in willfulness. While we are griping about God's will, we are more susceptible to other temptations.  The stories of the Israelite journey from Egypt to the Promised Land is a grand illustration of the Christian journey from sin to salvation. When did Israel fall into sin? When they started to complain about some situation. The longer they complained, the more deceived they became. Eventually, God would declare it was enough, lay His hand of correction on them, and bring them back into compliance with His will. But, the correction was always costly and painful!

When we quickly comply with God's will – we are pure, sparkling examples of godliness! When we cooperate with the Spirit's work in us, He produces a stellar quality of character that others admire because our lives stand in such contrast to the world. Just as an obedient son is a credit to his parents, so if we, as God's children, are obedient, we become a credit to Him as our Father.

Are you resisting the Lord’s will today?
Is there some part of God's plan for your life that you will not accept with humility?
Don't make Him lay His hand on you. Instead, comply and with joy.

Here's a word from the Word -- "While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God." (Hebrews 12:10-11, The Message)

Better than Chanel No. 5

So, Christian, you’re heading out into the world this week with an awesome privilege. Do you know what it is?  You are an ambassador of Christ’s realm!! Yes, God has credentialed you (and me!) to represent Him before our neighbors, friends, family … all those with whom we come in contact.  Read this commission carefully even though you may be familiar with it.  "God … gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:18-21, NIV)

At the end of the day, what will people think of Jesus because of you?  Will they see the purpose that knowing Him gives us and want to join in His work of changing hatred to love, fear to faith?  Saving the world is an all-consuming purpose that He allows us to share. Will they see the generosity of spirit that being loved intensely makes possible and want to know His love, too?  Of course they might not get all that in just one encounter.  Like it or not, as we are identified as Christ-followers, others will form conclusions about Who Jesus is from the words we say, the attitudes we hang onto you, and the values that guide our choices.

Paul says that as we move through life, we leave behind a smell. To some, it’s a sweet scent. To others, it’s the stink of death!  "I am grateful that God always makes it possible for Christ to lead us to victory. God also helps us spread the knowledge about Christ everywhere, and this knowledge is like the smell of perfume. In fact, God thinks of us as a perfume that brings Christ to everyone. For people who are being saved, this perfume has a sweet smell and leads them to a better life. But for people who are lost, it has a bad smell and leads them to a horrible death. No one really has what it takes to do this work." (2 Corinthians 2:14-16, CEV)

What 'fragrance' will you leave behind in the rooms you pass through on this day? Will people 'smell' the sweet perfume of the holiness of Jesus on you?  Paul asks, "And who is adequate for such a task as this?"  You see, we can't splash on a little "Jesus" perfume to cover the stink of persistent and deliberate disobedience or hypocrisy! The fragrance of Christ permeates our lives ONLY WHEN we have spent time with Him, soaking in His Spirit which lets His character be created in us! Sit down and rest in His Presence. Invite Him to live in you. Then, your inadequacy will be wrapped and covered by His Presence. The 'fragrance' that trails you will be the sweet smell of LIFE, both pleasing to God and those who love Him!

Let me leave you with a little story my friend Marie Armenia told on Facebook last week about her Mom.  Keep in mind that Marie’s mom is 91 and has been a Christian for a long, long time.  She represented Jesus this way.  “During the course of our afternoon we saw a woman who had a tattoo on her wrist. She was waiting on my mom. My mother, who never met a stranger, took her wrist and said, "Oh, that's pretty." She asked her questions like, "Didn't that hurt when they were doing that?" She is, at 91, still VERY curious about EVERYTHING. And then.. as I knew she would.. my mother got around to The Gospel. My mother was not grasping what the woman was ACTUALLY saying. Until she finally said it bluntly, "I do not want Jesus in my life. I do not want Jesus." My mother was polite and loving to her, and a few minutes later we were on our way and back in the car. I looked over at my mother and huge tears were rolling down her face. She was crying about the choice the woman made. She was praying for the woman and so brokenhearted for her. I realized then that I was seeing the Heart of God sitting in the front seat of the car next to me. I was seeing God's heart for humanity: pleading, calling, wanting none to perish;  not angry and vengeful but brokenhearted and mournful when anyone rejects His Only Son.”

So, how do you smell to the world as you pass through it?  I pray that the fragrance of Jesus leaves an unforgettable impression on others through you today.

_________________

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,

All His wonderful passion and purity.

O my Savior divine, all my nature refine,

‘Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

-           Albert Orbson, public domain