FOLLOWING THE BIBLE
By Timothy Glover
In talking to people I meet about the Bible, I hear most all claim to be following the Bible. If all churches are following the Bible, why are there a variety of practices that contradict each other?
A common explanation is that the Bible cannot be understood alike. So, we must allow for various interpretations. Paul wrote, “Be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:17). God intended for us to understand. Was he incapable of giving us his will so that we might understand it? The answer is not to be found in an insufficient book but in the many approaches to following it. For example, some believe in a strict adherence to what the Bible teaches while others adopt a more casual reading “not of the letter but of the spirit,” they explain. Thus, the latter approach accepts anything that is not specifically forbidden.
If I gave you directions to my house and the same directions to another person, you may come from different places where you live but you both are narrowing in on a specific target, the house. When either of you start making turns not called for, you have stopped following directions and started following your own way. You may think your way is better. But, let us remove myself from the scenario. Indeed, my directions may not be the best. If your acquainted with Springfield, your way may be better than mine. Replace me with God’s directions. Now, we need not take the same approach and think that our way is better. We must turn when God tells us we may turn and not reason, “Well, he did not say not to take this road. I think it’s just as good. It looks like a good road. Traffic is flowing nicely, it must be a safe, smooth road, etc. The difference is that when God speaks, we must follow. Only in this way will we respect his authority, achieve unity, and assure ourselves of reaching our destination, heaven. To think that your way is better is an insult to his wisdom. The majority of modern religion is nowhere permitted in Scripture. They are the products of human wisdom. It is these unauthorized changes of directions that account for the differences in religion.
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