To wind it down, at least for the week <3

Happy Friday!

As we come to the end of the week, I leave you with one more thought regarding the Church … the Body of Christ universal.

I was visiting with a sister in Christ this week about some of the classic Christian writings from the past generations. We were discussing the timeless truths that sincere Christ-followers have expressed into their times and places.

The litmus test for timeless truth-writing is that it finds its foundations in God’s written word, not the climate of the culture around the author.

I struggle when believers say we can agree to disagree about the inerrancy of Scripture.

If the truth of Scripture on any point is up for grabs based on our preferences, than so is the message of Salvation.

God’s Word…from the beginning to the end…is God’s Word.

It either is. Or it isn’t.

And yes…

we have to study it ourselves and with others.

And yes…

there are AHA! moments when our eyes are opened to something we interpreted one way or the other and suddenly it becomes clear that we were missing what God was saying.

But no…

we can’t rewrite Scripture or disregard certain aspects of it that make us uncomfortable.

 

THIS applies to the way we view our world AND the way we examine ourselves in the deepest places.

Jesus, Himself, affirmed Scripture as TRUTH.

I love what the pastor at John’s church quotes – All truth is not found in Scripture, but all Scripture is truth. I believe he attributes that to one of his professors…I could be wrong…don’t sue me.

What this phrase means to me is that we can encounter true things outside of the Bible, but when we open the pages of Scripture and look deep into God’s Word…

E.V.E.R.Y. W.O.R.D.

IS

TRUTH

The world and those who have not received Christ are at liberty to regard the Bible as a story… a myth…a suggestion…a joke…a man-made thing to force people to obey a bunch of antiquated rules…or any number of things that we hear outside the Body.

But here, inside the Body…

The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.                     Psalm 119:160

“…and the Scripture cannot be broken.” (Jesus)   John 10:35

“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” (Jesus)  John 17:17

“For assuredly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle (the smallest stroke in a Hebrew letter) will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” (Jesus)     Matthew 5:18

All Scripture is given by inspiration (literally breathed on to the page by the Living God through human authors), and is profitable for doctrine (the foundations of what we believe), for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.   (Paul)  2 Timothy 3:16

And finally…when Jesus responded to Satan’s attempts to twist God’s Word and write his own story He used these words…

“It is written…

It is written….

It is written….”     Matthew 4: 4, 7 and 10

We definitely do not understand ALL of God’s Word, which is why we study.

We most assuredly do not always apply it correctly, which is why we practice the disciplines and remain in fellowship with other followers to work that out.

But the shifting sand where we pick and choose out of Scripture the things we will believe and the things we will disregard is no place for any Christ-follower to stand.

May God bless us with a deeper love for Him through the reading of His Word. May He grant us understanding and obedient hearts on which His Word can be engraved. Because surely we, who follow Christ, are now engraved on His <3