The Living Word

At a recent Bible Study, a couple of people mentioned how applicable the Bible still seemed to be today. How true that is! Some may think that as the Bible was finished two thousand years ago, the information and stories must surely be dated and irrelevant now. Absolutely not. “…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” (Hebrews 4:12).

We were studying the Letter of Jude where Jude was talking about false teachers. Jude writes, “…some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives” (Jude 1:4). You mean God’s grace is so amazing that I can do whatever I want. Live however I choose. It really doesn’t matter because God’s grace will cover it. Surely you don’t mean to imply there are still pastors and churches who teach things like this which are utterly contrary to what God says? Yes. Sadly. Yes, there are pastors in the church today, who are more interested in being popular than faithful. They change what they teach concerning morals, ethics, right, wrong, good, and bad depending upon whichever way the wind is blowing in the culture at the time. As if our culture (the culture of a fallen world full of fallen people) is a better judge of morality than God. Not surprisingly, way back in the first century, the Bible warned us about this too. “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). The warning still applies. Just as politicians will say whatever they have to in order to get elected. Pastors will often say whatever they have to in order to increase attendance.

The devil’s very first attempt at getting Adam and Eve to sin is recorded in Genesis. We read, “The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?’” (Genesis 3:1). Right from the start Satan is trying to get humans to question the words of God. He is still doing so today.

When you come across verses in Scripture that sound as if they were written last week, do not be surprised. What God has to say does not shift with societies whims or go out of style. As Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear” (Matthew 24:35). It is the Living Word. As Paul told Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). 

It may not always be popular, but in a fallen world full of fallen people, we should not expect it to be. Quite the opposite, really. We should expect it to be mocked, ridiculed, scorned, and opposed. The question we need to ask ourselves is are we more interested in what our culture has to say or what God has to say? It is a difficult road to travel but it’s not new. Back in A.D. 49, when the apostle Paul was being vigorously opposed by his culture, he wrote of his circumstances, “Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant” (Galatians 1:10).

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