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...the Bible tells me so:
On Thinking and Being Biblical
There are too many words in use to describe or to insult religious people. I think of conservative, ecumenical, evangelical, fundamentalist, liberal, moderate, modern, pharisaical, and progressive. You may have others to add to this list.
I have never tried to be “conservative” in my Bible teaching, though I would describe myself as conservative. I have never tried to be “liberal” in my Bible teaching, though that is how some describe me. I have always tried to be biblical! What is important is what God says. My obligation in Bible study as a preacher and a teacher is no different from any other Christian. We must all seek to learn what God means by the words He chose to use in revealing His will.
There is no doubt how important thinking biblical and being biblical is. The words of Jesus are: “Man must not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4 RSV), and “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My word will never pass away” (24:35; see 5:18). The command of God is simple: “Receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21) and “able to give us our inheritance with the saints” (Acts 20:32).
The result is all preachers and teachers must “take heed to [our] teaching, because by doing so [we] will save [ourselves] and those who hear [us]” (1 Timothy 4:16). This happens when we “correctly handle the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
But true teaching does not occur if one isolates certain passages. David tells us that “the sum of [God’s] word is truth” (Psalm 119:160). For example, consider the many things necessary for our salvation. Ultimately, God the Father and Jesus the Son save us. The power of our salvation is God’s grace and mercy, Jesus’ blood and life, and the good news, the word and the preaching. God uses people, such as preachers, wives, and husbands, to save us. Finally, we save ourselves by responding to salvation by loving the truth, calling on the Lord, faith, obedience, repentance, confession, baptism, endurance, hope and works. [Find these passages in your Bible using an exhaustive concordance.]
So many disagreements over the Scriptures would be solved if we would honestly study all that God has said on any given subject. Important social issues, such as abortion, capital punishment, feminism, gun control, homosexuality and liberation theology, would be solved. Even more spiritual issues, such as the bodily resurrection of Jesus, lordship salvation, the nature of the new birth and the working of the Holy Spirit, would be solved. I believe that many realize that God has only one will on all of these doctrinal matters, although what they themselves believe that will is is often varied.
Unfortunately, the Lord’s people are not immune. There are those who emphasize “doctrinal purity” to the exclusion of biblical love and forbearance. There are also those brethren who emphasize tolerance to the exclusion of biblical teaching. Where is there room for growth and maturity? Where is there room for honest disagreement? Where is there room for learning more correctly the way of God (Acts 18:26)?
The
answer to all these problems is the same. I must yield my will to God’s will.
My prayer as I study must be, “not my will, but yours be done” (Matthew
26:39, 42). For God to rule my life, I must allow Him to open my mind and my
heart to learn and understand His will, then do it (like
The most popular initials today are W.W.J.D.: “what would Jesus do?” How true those words are. We must turn to Jesus, pushing our own personalities aside. We must turn to Jesus, pushing our own preconceptions aside. We must turn to Jesus, pushing our own preferences aside.
I pray that the Lord grant us wisdom and understanding of His will. I pray that the Lord grant us compassion and forbearance for His people. Then we can speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
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