That's Not in There!

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) says without any compromise that: “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  As much as some may try to say that there are contradictions in the Bible, there has not been one shred of evidence identified to support this erroneous claim. The Bible is the inerrant Word of God. Therefore, it is reliable and trustworthy.

I truly believe that most non-believers have not read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, yet they dismiss the truth of God’s Word with blind confidence and unrighteous fervor.  Non-believers view the Bible as a book of falsehoods and an exhaustive list of restrictive and unreasonable “dos” and “don’ts”.  In an attempt to establish their own standard of righteousness apart from God’s law, mankind has created a popular list of feel-good rules to promote its own idea of what “godliness” means.  Sadly, even believers who do not read their Bible hear these statements and believe them to be Scripturally correct.  However, nothing could be further from the truth; hence, the need to study God’s Word for yourself. 

Here are three such sayings that certainly sound saintly, but are totally opposite to what the Lord has told us in His Word:

·       Listen to your heart. 

Please don’t do that!  The Word of God says in Jeremiah 17:9 that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.  Would you trust someone who was described this way - deceitful and wicked?  Of course you wouldn’t; and yet, that is how God describes the heart of man.  Listening to your heart will lead you down a path which leads to sin – lust leads to adultery (see Matthew 5:27-28); jealousy leads to anger (Genesis 4:1-7); and anger leads to murder (Genesis 4:8; Matt. 5:21-22).  Do not trust your heart – it will lead you straight to hell.   

·       Be true to yourself.

A very popular saying.  I believe those who push this mantra want to convince you to live your life on your own terms.  In other words, without God.  What they fail to understand is that your life doesn’t belong to you – it belongs to God.  We were made in the image of God, by God, for God (Genesis 1:26-31).  God created mankind to serve Him and to glorify Him (Deuteronomy 10:12; Psalm 100:2; Romans 12:11; for example). It’s the sin of pride that fools us into believing we can live our lives without God’s providential care.  Doing so leads to fear, hopelessness, and despair in this life, and eternal separation from God in the next.

·       Just be a good person.

You can be “good” according to the world’s flimsy definition of the word, but not according to God.  We know what Scripture says about the corruption in man’s heart, but Psalm 14:1-3 also tells us: 

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;

there is none who does good.

The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man,

to see if there are any who understand, 

who seek after God.

They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;

there is none who does good,

not even one.

Apart from faith, no amount of good works are enough to put mankind in right standing with the Lord. (Also see Isaiah 64:6 and Ephesians 2:8-9.)

There are other such motivational quotes that attempt to convince us that we don’t need God, such as “Trust your gut”; “Feel good about who you are”, and “Happiness is what matters.”  Every last one of them is wrapped up in the sin of pride, and pride comes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18). 

Living a life without faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is no life at all.  God has given us this wonderful gift so that we can have a personal relationship with Him through His Son, which leads to everlasting life.  Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and no amount of “good works”  will save you.  Jesus makes this clear in Matthew 7:21-23:

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

I shudder when I read that Scripture. 

Surrender to God by placing your faith in His Word, which is the Lord Jesus Christ.  (John 1:1-17).  His Words are the only words that lead to eternal life.

God bless.