I believe that many people are, without realizing it, shaping their relationship with God based on excuses. Lack of time is our most popular excuse. Lack of comprehension is a close second. People say to me, “Time is a problem, for sure, but my real problem with the Bible is that I just have trouble figuring out.” Are they saying it is written in a language that is too difficult to understand? Are they saying it is so MYSTICAL that it can only be understood by 12th Century Monks? Are they saying that it is so complicated that they have trouble applying it to their life? And do they think this somehow gives them a pass on reading it? I had this same problem with Geometry when I was in High School. I don’t know why I didn’t use this wonderful excuse with my teachers. Maybe they would have understood that it wasn’t me, it was the math. Maybe I could have made straight A’s if they had taken that into account. I think the real problem with God’s Word for many people is that it isn’t wishy-washy. It draws lines between God’s truth and our personal desires and choices. We want to live life the way we’ve always been living it. And, we want God to cut us some slack. Give us an A, because it’s really His Word that is making it so hard on us. After all, we complain, using God’s Word as a rule of measure, FOR EVERYTHING, is just too much to ask or expect. This was true for the Jews Jesus encountered. In John 8:42 we read, “Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? 47 He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." They were defending their understanding of God’s Word based on their Jewish ancestry. They thought that they DID belong to God simply because they had lived their lives a certain way based on tradition. Jesus said they couldn’t do that. He said many of the things that they had learned and had incorporated into their “religion” were based on lies. They didn’t like that. Or Him! Didn’t matter. He continued to draw a bold line between God’s truth and their lies. Jesus cut to the chase: Everything God has said is true.
Everything Satan says is a lie. They took great offense. There are many people today who have the idea that we need to soften the Bible so it isn’t so offensive. But, scripture is very clear. You are either a friend of God or a friend of the world. You either walk in the Kingdom of God, or you walk in the Kingdom of the world. We’ve been talking about this Kingdom that Jesus brought to the earth. I’ve been preaching about the many benefits of walking safely inside of it. All of the promises of God are for those who walk in Kingdom knowledge. But, we want our spiritual cake and to be able to eat from the world, too. In James 4:4 we read, “You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” You have to pick your side. You cannot have both. You cannot choose to understand the Bible with an attitude that is generic. One size does not fit all. Nor can we use an attitude that keeps shifting. One week we choose this, next week we choose something else. The Word of God says there are only two kinds of people. Those under the headship of Christ, and those who are under the headship of Satan. Ouch!! Can’t we take the edge off of that just a little???
No. There is a fixed hostility between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan that cannot be ignored or side-stepped. In John 15:18 we read, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” It can’t be softened. In 1st Corinthians 2:14 we read, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” We cannot have both feet in the Kingdom of God if we are not spiritually driven. But how do we get our minds to be more open to the Spirit?
I’m going to give you 3 ways to help you get the right understanding in your soul, meaning your mind, that I hope will open you even more to your spirit. Because it is your mind that must get this!!
1. God’s Word must be approached objectively.
When we say something is objective, we mean it is outside of ourselves. To be objective is to understand a thing, in this instance, the Bible, without letting personal feelings or opinions influence how you consider it. The Jews wanted to use their HISTORY as a basis for knowing God. They had a special relationship BECAUSE they were Jews. This special feeling shaped their WHOLE relationship. They were thankful for being special, not for who God was in their lives. They neglected to take into account that obedience was a necessary part of their relationship. God had always rescued them in the past. They were special! When we say something is subjective, we mean it is inside ourselves. To be subjective about a thing means we have an understanding based on or influenced by our personal feelings, tastes, or opinions. The truth found in God’s Word is completely outside of us. It is fixed. We can’t change it. We can accept it or you can reject it. We cannot alter it to fit our needs! And THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART: We are not its source. We make no contribution to the truth found in God’s Word. What someone thinks is true does not make it true. In reality, there is no such thing as personal truth or individual truth.
The only truth is what is revealed in God’s Word. If you never lived and I never lived, it would have no bearing on God’s truth. In 2nd Peter 1:20 we read, “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Our opinions, our feelings, or even our lack of spiritual experiences have no bearing on its true meaning. In Psalm 119:160 we read, “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.” We are going to come and go from this life, but God’s Word is FOREVER!
I have to take off the boundaries!
2. God’s Word can be approached rationally.
People sometimes ask me, “How do you come up with your sermons?”
As R.C. Sproul once said, “I don’t put on a monk’s robe and light candles. I don’t put incense in the room to create some spiritual aroma. I don’t sit with my legs crossed and try to empty my mind. I do the hard work of researching and digging to understand the Scripture.” In 2nd Timothy 2:15 we read, “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. Scripture is logical because God is logical. Scripture is non-contradictory because God is non-contradictory. There are no errors, no discrepancies, no lies, no unsound truths, no fantasies, no absurdities, no inconsistencies, no myths. Scripture can be understood through the process of reasoning. The same way you would solve a math problem (well the way YOU might solve a math problem. I have no idea how to solve math problems!) The same way you would solve a science problem. The same way you would solve any issue. You put your brain in gear. To be spiritual does not mean you must be mindless. Though this is what many people say about us. You interpret the Bible in normal ways, using normal skills. Now, for the Christian, normal skills will not be limited to just the intellect. Normal skills for a Believer will include abilities of wisdom, discernment, knowledge and other gifts given through the power of the Holy Spirit. If we are body, soul and spirit, then our rational being must include all three aspects of our being. When I approach God, I understand that His rationale is spiritually born. His ways ARE higher than my ways! I can’t limit him to my earthbound rationale. I have to take off the boundaries!
3. God’s Word must be approached as the Final Authority.
The Word of God is not just another source for discussion. Plain and simple, the Word, the Bible must be seen as the oracles of God. It is the final Word on everything of which it speaks. It is the mind of Christ. We can use our rational powers, of course, aided by the indwelling Holy Spirit who leads and guides and directs us into an understanding of the truth. But we must give respect and awe and reverence when it is due! God intended for His Word to be spoken with authority. It must not be taken lightly. It must be approached as if it contained all the power of the universe, which it does. It must be approached as if it contained all the answers to life itself, which it does. It must be approached as if it were the full counsel of God Himself, which it is! When God says through His Word that He is our healer, we must not by our actions or by our lack of understanding question that He is our healer!
It is one thing to lack faith, it is quite another to lack fear! Instead of disputing God’s Word, we must find a way to embrace it!! We are the ones who must move!!! We need to believe that what God says about Himself is undeniable! We need to take off the boundaries! We need to stop limiting God to capabilities created by our limited thoughts. Our thoughts are limited by Satan who is the father of lies. That’s what Jesus said to the Pharisees that day. Well, it STILL applies to us!!! First we must believe that God’s Word is objective, rational and the Final Authority. Then we can believe that it reflects God’s holy will and purpose for us. For what other logical, rational, authoritative reasons can it exist? God, who is outside of us, has an objective and Holy will for each of us. God, who is rational, has a logical and well thought out purpose for each of us. God, who is the Final Authority, has through His divine nature, created all that we are and will be to bring glory to His existence. This is what we find in His Word. We must be faithful to study it, learn it, live it and proclaim it. To do otherwise is equal to denying the truth. If you do not know God’s Word, you cannot know or be living in the Truth. Can’t we soften this just a bit???? No. That is God’s Word for us. There is no way around it.
