"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable." Hebrews 4:12-13 (NLT)
I continue to find it disheartening that so many people take issue today with what God has said and has given us so invaluably in scripture. The fact that they do says something ominous about the current state of society.
Among those people there are some that have taken on themselves the authority to divide scripture into two categories - determining for themselves what to believe and apparently casting the rest as error as though there is some that's not to be believed. For them I pose a terrifying quandary: If you've decided that you can disbelieve some of it, how can you know that you can count on any of it including the parts of choice? The character of God is revealed - evident in every part of scripture. Both He and the bible that He's given us can be trusted to honor ALL that He's said... including the parts that you may not like.
"God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?" Numbers 23:19 (NLT)
Many others cast any belief in God and scripture as an obsession with fantasy, some of them questioning how anyone can believe in a God who would allow such evil to exist in the world. I would answer them that the all-righteous God has called men to do what is right and has given them instruction, but He also gave them the freedom of choice to do as they will in the hope that they will surrender their will to His. Given this, how is God to blame for what men choose to act on from the evil that's in their own hearts? The choice we're given is itself the sifting of souls on a much grander scale than they might imagine. In those other tragic instances in life, know that there's a death far worse than the death of the body and that's the real tragedy to be feared. Sometimes, supposed conflicts are due to our lack of understanding and a sincere will to know and understand can often reveal the surprising truth.
"...For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike." Matthew 5:45 (NLT)
To them I would also say that my supposed "fantasy" has saved my eternal life and that they have my heartfelt pity for what's coming to them if they remain unrepentant. As for me... I have no doubt about who's being deceived.
For those of us going through continuing sanctification with the Holy Spirit's help, daily seeking to improve our ability to follow the path that Christ Jesus laid out, we're wandering through a world of strong offense to what God has said and instructed and a cloud of deception that lulls some to passivity and others to activism against Him... and also against us because of our conviction to the truth. We shouldn't be surprised or wonder where it comes from. The same fallen angels that were kicked out of heaven for their own insurrection, are seeking to provoke mankind's rebellion as well and they've had millennia to hone their craft against mankind's lusts and intellect. But their fate and that of those who follow their lead is a path headed to a known destruction.
Our strong, secure safety in the darkest situations is in our Savior and in our continual, diligent study to increase and refresh our connection to Him and to the truth through His word. We dare not neglect it for our own sake because it's a perilous path that we walk and drifting off of it is far, far too easy.
“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants." John 3:18-21 (NLT)
There's a lot of darkness in the world, but the light we find in God's word, we can carry with us. It reminds us of who we are, what God's promises are, and it instructs us in how to navigate the path ahead of us successfully. It pushes back the darkness, so why would we neglect it?
"“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is unhealthy, your body is filled with darkness. Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.” Luke 11:34-36 (NLT)
We need to be focusing our eyes on the bible daily to keep our light shining brightly within and to prepare us to be ready to "push back" the darkness as we go.
"No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 (NLT)
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