Yesterday we started to probe the issue that both Wilberforce and Osbourne spoke to around 206 years apart. Today we will consider some of the implications of what we examined yesterday.
The conclusion yesterday was that if one does not engage in the activity that Christ exhorts, the implications are dire. That conclusion is driven, in part, by John 8:31 (here @ Bible Gateway). As we saw, if one is to be a disciple of Christ, one must abide in His Word. The import of that is if one is not abiding in the Word, then one is not a disciple.
In an earlier post we examined 1 Peter 2:1 – 3 (here @ Bible Gateway). The passage is a complex conditional statement. Essentially it says that if one has tasted the kindness of the Lord, that is has fully experienced His kindness, then that one will long for, hunger for, not be satisfied without the Word of God. Would it not be the case then that if a person does not have a hunger for the Word of God, if they are not pursuing learning it, studying it, reading it, would it not be reasonable to conclude that they have not tasted the kindness of the Lord?
In Luke 6:46 (here @ Bible Gateway), Jesus asks a rather penetrating question. “If you call me Lord, why do you not do what I say?” Isn’t the implication there that if one is not doing what Christ says, He is not their Lord?
I have been engaged with more than one church’s small group project. One of the consistent challenges is getting the groups to engage personally, individually in the Word of God. Many are quick to read “Christian” books, or watch “Christian” videos, or focus on fellowship, but to read secondary sources is not the same as reading the Bible.
I have been asked to review two study Bibles. I have done one, and the other is in the que. Both are chock full of notes and reference material. When I was new to the faith, the Scofield Reference Bible was the main Bible that people carried. It too was chock full of notes and reference material. Full disclosure I have at least four Study Bibles. I don’t use any of them. Why? The notes and reference materials are the work of man. They are not inspired. The text of the Bible is inspired. Hebrews 4:12 (here @ Bible Gateway) does not say, “For books about the Bible and the notes in your study Bible are living and active and sharper than any two edged sword…” you can fill in the rest.
It is confusing to me why the Lord allows this. He states that His word will not return void, Isaiah 55:11 (here @ Bible Gateway). It seems like, many, if not most, of those claiming to be in the Body, have chosen to abandon His Word. Chosen not to abide instead to depend on proxies to apprehend the Word of God. This seems to have resulted in an ineffective and anemic Body. I don’t know why this persists. But the quotes from Wilberforce and Osborne indicate that it has for the last couple of hundred years.
The Holy Spirit inspired His Word, all of it. It reflects God’s nature and character, 2 Peter 1:1 – 4 (here @ Bible Gateway). Peter in 2 Peter 1:16 – 21 (here @ Bible Gateway) compares having the Word of God to his experience seeing Jesus transformed on the Mount of Transfiguration. But, we have trouble getting believers to engage personally in it? Why?
I have some thoughts on that I will share in the next post.
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