Bella Vista Church of Christ
LIFELINES
March 7, 2001 Randall Caselman
What Makes Us Different?
How we view the Bible makes a difference in what kind of people we are. The personalities of churches and individuals are regulated by our attitude toward scripture. Mark Twain once said, “The Bible contains noble poetry; some clever fables; blood-drenched history; some good morals; a wealth of obscenity; and upwards of a thousand lies.” By contrast, Woodrow Wilson said, “When you read the Bible, you know it is the Word of God.” Question: Which one of these statements more closely resembles our attitude toward the Holy Bible?
A recent Gallup poll noted 82 percent of Americans said that they believe the Bible is, in some sense, the Word of God. Yet over half of those could not name the four gospels. An Associated Press survey found that most people say they read the Bible, but less than half of those knew who preached the Sermon on the Mount. Barna Research asked 600 adults questions about the Bible. Among those who contended that they were Christians, only 61 percent knew that the book of Jonah was in the Bible, and 16 percent thought the New Testament was written by the apostle Thomas.
You see, it is one thing to believe the Bible is the Word of God and something else to allow it to make a difference in our lives. We have those in the church who believe the Bible is the Word of God yet they are still hateful, angry, vengeful, gossiping, and judgmental of others. They do not allow the Bible to make a significant difference in their lives.
What should we believe about the Bible?
1. It is Inspired.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God,” Paul writes in the words of the King James Version. When Paul speaks of inspiration, he means that God moved the writers to write what he wanted them to write. The Greek for “inspired” means “God-breathed,” which is how the New International Version translates the passage. The original word was used to speak of ships moved by the wind, apart from their own power and direction. Peter said that no prophecy came by the will of men, but from the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1.21); David said that God’s word was on his tongue (2 Sam. 23.2); God told Jeremiah that He had put His words into the prophet’s mouth. (Jeremiah 1.9)
2. It is Infallible.
The Bible is historically true, prophetically true, spiritually true. This is why it can be our standard for our faith and practice. If we don’t believe in the infallibility of scripture, then we can pick and choose what we want to believe. Many today believe the Bible contains truth.
No, no, the Bible
IS truth! “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free….Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” (John 8.32 & 17.17 niv).
3. It is Sufficient.
Paul admonishes us to “continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 3.14-15) The Bible not only contains instructions on how to be saved, it tells us how to maintain our salvation. Paul goes on to say that scripture “is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3.16-17).
4. It is Authoritative.
The Bible is not a book of suggestions. The Ten Commandments were not suggestions for Israel, but commandments. Right and wrong is not subjective or relative, but absolute. I am not saying that any one of us has all the answers by himself, but we do to the extent that we understand the will of God through his word. Isaiah exclaimed, “Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 1.2).
5. It is Effective.
Planted in an honest heart, it changes the heart. The writer of Hebrews says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4.12). Penetrating the heart, the Word shapes us into the image of Jesus, because He is the Word incarnate. John 1.1-2 refers to Jesus as “the Word” and verse 14 says “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
What kind of people are we? What kind of church are we? It depends on how we view the Word of God. Indifference to the Bible -- to its inspiration, its infallibility, its sufficiency, its authority, its effectiveness -- keeps us from becoming the person God wants us to become and makes us something less than the Church of Jesus Christ. Amen?
RANDALL CASELMAN
