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Give Me the Bible
In a world where religious confusion is rampant, it is refreshing to read and study the Bible. In an obvious effort to elevate himself, man has so complicated religion that what most people seek to pass off as devotion and service to God has little similarity to what is written in the Bible. It is appalling to hear today’s theologians as they seek to justify such things as homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, same-sex marriages and a host of other fleshly gratifications. And it is disgusting to hear those who claim to have spent a lifetime studying the Bible go through the motions of giving scriptural approval to such innovations as women “pastors,” and female “worship leaders” in the church. And how much more discouraging to hear those who have in the past called for “book, chapter, and verse” for all that we do now adding to the work of the church innovations where no “book, chapter, and verse” is given.
I say, GIVE ME THE BIBLE!
Give me the Bible instead of:
Human creeds. Human creeds are just that–human. They did not originate in the mind of God and are thereby merely inventions of men. Peter says, (I Peter 4:11), “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.” Any doctrine or teaching that cannot be shown to have the approval of God is not to be embraced by men. Man is finite. He has not the ability to lift himself out of that fact; he cannot raise himself above himself; he cannot save himself. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and man is powerless to devise some means for relief from those sins. Human creeds are divisive, they don’t even agree with one another. They breed prejudice, discord, disunity. These human devices have never once solved even the most basic of man’s needs. I say, give me the Bible.
Human Wisdom. Wisdom is properly defined as applied knowledge. It is the ability to take what one has learned and apply it to a given set of circumstances so as to bring about the best result for all concerned. Human creeds are the result of human wisdom. Paul says that what he taught came from God, not some human devices; “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: which none of the princes of this world knew...” (I Corinthians 2:1-10). He concludes that “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him, but God hath revealed to us by His spirit, for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God.” It is pompous and self-assertive for man to think that by his own man-made inventions he can bring salvation to his kind. I say, give me the Bible.
Human emotion. Far too many of today’s religious practices are based on a person’s emotions–how he feels about a matter. The popular entertainment-type worship services in today’s so-called “churches” is little more than a way to tickle the emotions of the hearers and generate high emotional responses in the hearers. Actually, such worship is more for man than for God. Emotion is important, but not as a guide. Emotion does not produce religion, but religion will produce emotions. The Ethiopian in Acts 8 certainly did “go on his way rejoicing,” but it was not the rejoicing that produced his salvation, it was the salvation which produced his rejoicing. Emotion must subordinate to faith. I say, give me the Bible.
Human tradition. Many people are what they are because that’s what their parents were. There is not any true faith in that kind of reason for religion. Personal faith is just that–personal. And it comes by “hearing the word of God” (Romans 10:17), not by hearing what your grandfather taught you. Far too often tradition in religion is maintained because it is comfortable, because it is convenient. The religion of father or mother is most likely the easiest to embrace because it has been around in the family for a time. But human tradition cannot be trusted; it allows too much and demands too little. True religion is personal–it is not inherited, but is a calculated response by a person to what he has learned from a careful perusal of the word of God. We best listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 10:37–“He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me...and he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me.” It’s personal, folks. I say, give me the Bible.
Human opinion. “Every man has the right to his own opinion” is a common expression, but it is not one that should apply to man’s salvation. Opinion is a proposition held as true which falls short of being provable. Opinions are not only dangerous when applied to salvation, they are not allowable. Listen to religion in general: “It doesn’t make any difference what you believe, just so long as you’re honest and sincere.” Now listen to Jesus: “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). That statement by Jesus destroys forever the idea that opinions relating to salvation are acceptable. One who holds a mere opinion about his salvation can never be sure. I say, Give me the Bible.”
“All scripture is inspired of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God might be complete, thoroughly furnished unto every good work” (II Timothy 3:16-17). Need more be said?
