By The Book

 2 Timothy 3:10-17


10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

 You and I know there are many people in the world who reject the Bible’s authority. But have you considered that some of them are Christians? Many believers unwittingly do this when they choose which parts of the Bible to believe and which parts to throw out.

But the truth is that the Bible is the very Word of God—spoken to and through His messengers, passed down through time, and relevant to every generation. It’s God’s magnificent revelation of Himself to the world, and everything He said was intentional.

We cannot break up Scripture or pull pieces out of context without the risk of altering its meaning. In 2 Timothy 3:16, we read that every word of the Bible is God-breathed and valuable. That means no part of it was written without a specific purpose, so whatever portion we’re reading, we should pay attention to surrounding verses, the book’s intended audience, and historical context.

Do you ever choose which parts of the Bible you want to believe and follow? Let’s bravely ask the Holy Spirit to show us any sections of Scripture we may have thrown aside—and to help us trust in the authority of God’s Word.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Blueprint For Prayer Part 2

Image
  Matthew 6:11-15     11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. The first half of the Lord’s prayer focuses on God, but in the second part, Jesus addresses our need for daily provision, forgiveness, and protection. Notice His words remain centered on the Father, who provides all three.  Give us this day our daily bread.  The Lord is the source of everything we need—physical, material, emotional, and spiritual (Philippians 4:19).  By asking Him to provide our basic necessities, we’re acknowledging our complete dependence upon Him and trusting in His sufficient provision for each...
Read more

Proverbial Wisdom: Secure in Wisdom

  Read Proverbs 4 Have you ever had anyone refer to you as a child?  How did that make you feel?  A lot of times when someone refers to us as a child, we take it as an insult upon our character.  However, in the book of Proverbs, being referred to as a child is a huge compliment.  We see through the pages of Proverbs that God considers us His very children, His very heirs, and He wishes to instruct us as a Father instructs His children.  God gives us reassurance that He loves us and only wants us to follow His instructions because they will guide us and lead us to a good life.  We have security inside God’s very words.  His instructions will give us the wisdom to lead lives that not only honor Him, but will ultimately bring us great happiness and joy.  God’s instructions are not overbearing rules to make our lives miserable, instead it’s the exact opposite.  They are rules to protect us and instructions to guide us into the abundant life...
Read more

Firmly Convicted

Image
  2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.   A person of conviction feels certain that his beliefs are true. However, it’s often the case that the things people believe are based on the current conditions or situations of their life. Then, when circumstances change, their convictions do as well. In other words, it’s not uncommon to find someone go back and forth on issues t...
Read more