Daily Truth that Sets Us Apart
Scripture is the only infallible authority for the Church
God intends that His Word should be spiritually living and active within us, expanding our understanding and identifying our flaws. Handling God's Word correctly will reveal the mind of Christ, empower us to do His will and help us overcome the damaging influences of our fallen human nature.
Theological literature has its place—it can be influential and helpful. But all that God has told us in the entirety of each book in the Bible is radically different: in its divine authority it is “living and powerful” (Hebrews 4:12). The importance of God’s Word in the lives of those who truly belong to Christ cannot be overstated. We are called to follow “the sound teaching that conforms to the gospel,” and reject whatever is contrary to it (read 1st Timothy 1).
Scripture pierces deep within us where it turns on a light: "Your word is a lamp to walk by, and a light to illumine my path" (Psalm 119:105). It brings clarity, step by step directing us in our daily walk with Christ. It exposes our selfish intentions and ambitions for what they really are. It encourages us to set ourselves apart for God: “Sanctify them [set them apart] by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17); “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11).
How can we measure the true value of what we are being taught? By getting into the daily habit of filling our minds with the wholeness of Scripture. The Spirit of truth lives in us and teaches us about all things. It is God’s living Word in us that protects us against error within Christ’s body, the Church. However, in understanding Scripture productively, balance is the watchword. Without it, error isn’t far away.
Sometimes we have things back to front when we habitually allow Scripture to be defined by what we read in Christian literature (or what we hear from a pulpit). Despite being “Christian” publications, some written work can intellectualise the life out of Scripture, or subtly misrepresent its teaching. It matters what sources we use to explore the Scriptures.
In our modern internet age, we may also be bombarded by bigoted and misleading memes, divisive political obsessions, outlandish prophetic speculations, and the harmful idiosyncrasies of the spiritually unstable. Many would try to influence us. It matters a great deal who teaches us and what is being taught. Consider the principle laid down for us in 2nd John 1:9-11.
Living close to God and His Word in faith and obedience will help us understand when beliefs and teaching are badly flawed. (Consider another principle in John 7:17.) A mature familiarity with the balanced fullness of God’s truths means everything you hear and read will unavoidably pass through a wealth of spiritual understanding. God’s righteous instruction within you will intuitively recognise and resist error and half-truths. Truth is often cunningly wrapped around a lie.
Believing and upholding God’s Word will equip us to resist the work of our spiritual enemy. False teaching often follows a distinct pattern: Bible texts get drawn into a theme that’s inconsistent with the harmony of Scripture. The theme then becomes a foundation for harmful beliefs. Bible texts may be taken in isolation so a bias can be read into them. Characteristics of false teaching often include human effort playing a role in God’s work, and Christ’s pre-eminence and sufficiency will be undermined.
The Word of God provides all the authoritative instruction we need: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God [Greek: God-breathed], and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2nd Timothy 3:16-17).*
The Bible corrects us and teaches us so that in daily life and in our local churches we can be properly equipped and complete. What Christian doesn’t want to stand before God competent and established in sound teaching? With this in mind, how often do you read your Bible privately? How often do you think deeply about its truths? Scripture will help you live as God intends. It will strengthen you and that in turn will help to build up the local church you are planted in.
All the books of the Bible are from God. But we must be careful we don't allow His Law to overshadow and distort the grace that's ours through Christ. Always view Old Testament teaching, principles and contexts through our standing in Christ as fully defined throughout the New Testament.
And we must never forget that at its core the Old Testament testifies to the pre-eminence of Christ (consider Luke 24:27; 44; John 5:39; Acts 13:27). Although the author of a famous hymn had many dark personal struggles, there’s truth in the words he penned: “To see the Law by Christ fulfilled, And hear his pardoning voice, Changes a slave into a child, And duty into choice” (Cowper).
In conclusion then, be sure to regularly run your life through the filter of Scripture. Find ways to absorb it each day. Allow its truths to shape your thinking.
*These words from the second letter to Timothy were written long before copies of the original New Testament documents were compiled into one volume. For reasons we can't get into here, we can have every confidence that the entire Bible contains God’s breathed-out, inerrant truths. If this subject is of interest to you, those among the leadership in your church should be able to recommend reliable publications and online resources.
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See also:
The Challenging Character of God
The Dangers of the World
The Spiritually Controlled Soul
The 1611 King James Version