There is a general misconception in the Western world today — even within the Church — that thinks we are the driving force of our faith. It thinks somehow we are the commanders of our own religion and the inspiration and authority-givers to whatever passages of Scripture we choose. Most notably, I would say, would be those who subscribe to the Prosperity Gospel — the health and wealth gospel — or even Christians who support homosexual behavior in the context of the Church.
Even on a personal level, in our own devotional lives even here at Biola, we take Scripture out of context as if cutting with scissors from God’s holy Word and pasting it into the notebooks of our own idols. I submit to you that this is heresy.
Here is the 30-second advertisement of what this article will be about. The problem: apathetic, selfish habits. The solution: abide in the Word, know the truth and proclaim unabashedly what the whole of Scripture teaches.
The Problem: being apathetic which leads to selfishness
Our apathy is crippling to the lasting effect the Word of God ought to have in our lives. We — I am included — are so often more consumed with our secular well-being than our soul’s upkeep and growth. We must be consistent in our feasting on the rich Word of God in order that we might know it. It is also so common for all of us to Google a pertinent verse to our situation or the theology paper we are writing and copy and paste it into our paper. What if we actually knew the Word and needed to consult nothing further than our memories to enforce a biblical point?
How often do we justify our lackluster “meal plan” because of a busy schedule? We need to make some sacrifices. Perhaps we need to start our day earlier or take a meal by ourself and read the Word. We need to set aside time from our day when we can get in the Word with minimal distraction and let it pour into us. We need to stop being selfish and hoarding the day for ourselves.
The Solution: knowing the Word
Man does not know a more joyful, sullen, convicting or triumphant place than the Word of God. We must abide, not just in part, but in the entirety of the canon of Scripture. If we do, we will encounter — through the power of the Holy Spirit — life-transforming encouragement and conviction that cause us to bear fruit. We will not always find apple pie or warm fuzzies in the Word, but it will sharpen us for God’s glory. This is not a reading exercise, but fuel for the fire of our belief. We must not merely read, but dwell in and savor every word.
Know the truth. In an age when truth is denied, we must brush aside doubting comments and look at the resurrected Christ, point and say, “There is truth which has given me life.” We know that our life transformation has not come by trickery of our minds or through wishful thinking. The hymn, “He Lives,” puts it so beautifully: “You ask me how I know he lives? He lives within my heart.”
Finally, we have the responsibility — terrifying though it may be — to preach and proclaim the Word of God. Bryan Chapell, former president of Covenant Seminary, said it so powerfully: “All Scripture directs us toward faith in Christ, for he is the ultimate message of all the ‘sacred writings.’” If we avoid the Word of God by blocking out certain controversial passages or do not have a grasp on what is in the whole of his Word, how can we properly proclaim the gospel of Christ who has saved us? Let us know and proclaim Jesus so that we may no longer copy and paste our knowledge of Him, but that we may freely tell of all we know of Him from Scripture, not merely our opinions.
