“All scripture is inspired by God and useful to teach us what is true and 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’s more to the Bible than just it telling us how we should live our lives, or telling us that we aren’t living the right way. As Apostle Paul said, God uses these scriptures to transform us and help us to do the things that please Him. The Bible, according to John 6:33, is important because it gives us life.
Some Christians, though, pick and choose what part of the Bible suits their need and satisfies them, while disregarding the parts that are harsh on them. They favor the verses that promise God’s blessings, but forget that these promises come with obedience to God’s word. I liken these people to the Pharisees, who skillfully sidestep God’s law to hold on to their tradition. These are the people that honor God with their lips but have their hearts far from God. Some Christians also use human knowledge to interpret the Bible for their benefit. An example of this is how some Christians try to justify that drinking is okay. (A discussion for another post)
There are some other Christians that have become too familiar with the Bible that it doesn’t concern them if they are living according to God’s word or not. These people aren’t baby Christians; I call them church veterans. They think they know enough of God and can choose to do whatever they want with their lives. They take God for granted because He is a patient and loving God. That is why some churches do not experience the presence of God anymore. Instead of allowing God direct the church, we depend on our human knowledge to do things the way we want. With the way some churches worship these days, you’ll think it is a clubhouse or some other secular place. And we then wonder why God isn’t moving the church forward. Lest we forget, we are reminded in 1 Peter 4:17 that God will start with the church when He is ready to judge the world.
The word of God can be seen as “lamp to our feet” (Psalm 119:105), it is also described as “sharper than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). Both of these are important in combating the enemy. We should not see the Bible as a book that we read and not act upon because then we will be hypocrites (James 1:22), but instead, we should endeavor to practice all that the Bible tells us.
Blazer _ Brooks Brothers
Shirt _ Express
Bow Tie _ Brooks Brothers
Sweater _ Brooks Brothers
Pants _ Brooks Brothers
Shoes _ Bruno Magli
