Do I believe something simply because it’s in the Bible? Nope. I’m sure that I’ve read many other writings and held them to be believable regardless if it’s a textbook, a news article, an opinion, etc…Now whether what I read is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, that’s a test that many of such writings can easily fail because we know in part.
We can read many stories from the various compiled writings that we often refer to as the Bible. Does each book or letter give us the complete picture? Nope.
Yet when we come to read the writings focusing on the love of God, we then find the foundation of the complete picture of life.
I love it when Christ said, “it was said long ago…but I say”. Such form of speaking was to mark a turning point granting us a better and clearer perspective on life itself altogether.
We often go on praising and glorifying each character found in each of the several writings of the Bible. And where we mostly fall short in our understanding is at trying to become a patchwork of all those personalities. In the end, others never get to know the real us, not even ourselves. We try to be like every found and well-spoken of figure. It’s almost like someone who’s good at imitating others’ voices.
The other day my son was playing a game with his brother. And he started voicing certain expressions that later on in life will not sound appropriate if he was to say them. So I told him not to say those expressions, which he has very little idea of their true meaning, and also told him to play a different game instead, hopefully one that would not subject him to cross path with those expressions. His response was, “It’s just ‘Pretend’, Daddy!)
Pretend is a skill taught to us from a very early age, promoted and nourished by both parents and teachers alike. It’s suggested to help explore our imagination. Yet, it is the one skill we fall back on often whenever we either fear of being ourselves or simply wish to impress others.
As Christians, we’ve wrongly been taught to pretend to be who we are not. Some could judge us and say, “Why can’t you be like Abraham, or Deborah, or Paul, or Christ, or your father, mother, younger or elder brother, or even twin brother or sister, and maybe that much admired friend or child of the neighbor?”
When I read the good news that God loves me, I accept it and rejoice in it, not because it’s found in a writing collected by the Bible, not because a song says “Jesus loves me, I know because the Bible tells me so”, but because when I put to the test such claim it makes total sense to me. So if I love Jesus, if I love God it is simply because God informed me through Christ Jesus that He loves me.
If Paul was to say that he loves me, I’d appreciate such declaration. And yet, I’d be curious to seek and understand what is it that brought forth such declaration. And Paul is nowhere nearby to answer my questions. But if I survey all the troubles that Paul went through to bring the good news that God loves me, I could easily deduct that Paul loves me. But Paul may not even know me. Humanly speaking, I’m not sure how he could. But God knows me from beginning to end. And when God moved someone to come to me by whatever means, whether in person or in writings or audible speech that He loves me, I’m left with questioning whether God knows me and why He finds it so important that, not only Him and Christ Jesus, but I too need to know with all certainty that He loves me. In seeking to understand such love, I’m rejoicing in peace of mind that I never knew could ever exist.
So if I quote a saying from one of the writings collected by the Bible makers, does that mean that I’m promoting the Bible? Far from it. And if I saying anything pertaining to God and I leave out quoting a verse from one of the writings collected by the Bible makers, does that mean I’m against the Bible? Far from it.
The worst mindset for anyone to have is to be convicted of doing right when all his acts are one wrong after another. Some would say that I’m doing something very wrong by either discrediting or not excitingly accrediting the Bible for the gospel. My response to them is, “What is it that Christ had sent the disciples to preach to all nations? Was it the books of Moses? The Psalms? Was it even a book? Or was is a message, a simple message?”
I’m sure by now, you may have realized that when I quote someone’s saying, I don’t bother promoting this version over that version. My intent or goal or hope is not that we come out with a false conviction based on a version, but we come out with the basic message and understanding of my quote which should always point to the love of God for us, mankind. What good is it to trifle over this version vs. that version, when some languages only have 1 (one) version of the writings. So, my hope always is that we skip over all the nuisances that we seem to pay much attention to and get to the bottom of whatever is said or quoted which should always be the love of God.
Paul, in one of his writings, said that when he went to preach the gospel, it wasn’t with words of eloquence or arts of persuasion, but with Power. And for those who have never heard of the Power of God in action, to them seeing is believing. But for us, who have heard and have understood that nothing is possible to God, the understanding that the Holy Spirit teaches us daily helps us grow not in fear but in faith, in one revelation after another, in believing more and more in God even for what we never thought that we needed God to shed light on for us.
So you will not find me wasting time bashing or promoting the Bible. What you may find me doing by grace is sharing the simple message of the love of God, a message that many often skip over because they were wrongly introduced to it, because they were introduced to it with man-made agendas other than Christ’s joy in seeing the lost coming to knowledge, full knowledge that he has been found. This brings to mind someone lost in a forest who has no idea if anyone knows that he’s lost. But then one day he steps onto a message, several copies of the same message telling him to stay put, to find closest temporary sheltering place, and that others know (Hallelujah) that he is lost and are relentlessly seeking for him. Wouldn’t you like to find and rejoice in such message? Had you realized that you are lost that you don’t know your left from your right, and that you don’t know your North, South, East or West, that you don’t know or can’t even remember where you came from or where you’re supposed to be? Wouldn’t you like to know that others are looking for you? Wouldn’t you be at peace to know that even if it’s your body that they found, then maybe such alone will bring closure to those who love you and can’t wait to see you in one form or another?
This is how the world is right now, clueless of where they are, clueless of knowing that Christ has found them and will soon rescue them fully, not just by the hope of being rescued, but also the rescue from all the pains and turmoils of this earthly life altogether.
John wrote in his writing, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17)
I believe what John said to be true. I believe that there’s no other savior. I believe that since the world is lost in its mind, that there’s no other savior to rescue the world but God himself with the message of his love for mankind.
Jesus is the well of the living water, the Holy Spirit. 