Sunday, July 31, 2016

SEPARATING SCRIPTURE FROM ITS AUTHOR





How would you answer this challenge:

·       “Yes, Scripture is important. But, frankly, truthfully, it is not part of the Godhead. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are God, Scripture is not. Our salvation is from God, not from Scripture.”

You are needlessly and un-scripturally driving a wedge between God and His Word, I responded. Instead, they are a package deal. We cannot have God without His Word. Paul explained that they must go together:

·       How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? (Romans 10:14; ESV)

Besides, we cannot love God without also loving His Word:

·       Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. (John 14:23-24)

How else are we to love God? I can give my wife a backrub, sweep the floor, do the dishes. However, I can only love God by keeping His Word. Therefore, for God, the supreme test is whether or not we abide in His Word:

·       I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name [essence] and your word. (Psalm 138:2)

This same postmodern Christian responded:

·       “So I therefore conclude that adherence to a particular interpretation of Genesis 1-11 is NOT critical, or even necessary to find salvation, know God and love Him.”

Here is my response:

·       While I agree with you, we are left to wonder where a “Christian’s” heart is, when they dismiss the many clear NT references to the historicity of the Genesis account in favor of evolution. Do they truly love God?

·       We also have to wonder how these blatant compromises will impact their lives, even if they are saved.

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