Are You Drinking From The Source? 2-1-09
There is a trend in many churches today in which “Bible classes” use non-Bible books as the focus of their study. I am not talking about the many small group and identity-focused group studies that are formed separate from established congregational assemblies – such as a Thursday night ladies class, or a group of Christians meeting in a home to share thoughts together as they go through a book together. No, I am referring to the established “Bible Study” times that were instituted years back for the purpose of teaching the members about the Bible throughout their lives; I remember growing up in the church and being taught the Bible from the Bible.
When I became an adult, I thought that I would have access to a broad range of Bible classes, but instead found that many were topical in nature; that would be okay with me except that many of them taught topics such as weight loss or how to recover from [whatever], using some new guru’s book, rather than teaching on the topic from the Bible. Again, I am not opposed to people learning from each other, or in people studying together. But I do oppose taking the precious little time set aside for actual study of the Bible, and using it to study somebody’s opinion on the Bible or a topic.
I did not understand this trend when I was a young man, but now (as I get older) I see more clearly why this trend exists. This trend has little to do with the effects of television – I love reading the Bible and yet I watched a lot of television, whereas I have known people who do not even own a television that never seem to be able to get past the front cover of the Bible. This trend has little to do with education or social status, for both Bible and non-Bible classes span the full spectrum of education, wealth, and family status. No, this trend really only has to do with the answer to one question: is the Bible practical for my life?
To answer this question, I want you to contemplate three passages and how they relate to your life:
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-9 NIV)
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:13-18 NIV)
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:16-18 NIV)
In the first passage, Peter explains that there is a definite way for you to develop the attributes of Jesus Christ, by starting with the easiest to build (faith) and adding more as you grow in the Lord. Expecting a new Christian to demonstrate selfless love and to be able to proclaim the gospel to the masses is absurd! Peter instead shows how to build up a Christ-like life over time.
The next passage has the analogy of Christian character as protective armor. Paul uses this imagery to demonstrate that each piece of the “armor” of Christ’s character is crucial to protecting you from spiritual attacks. Obviously Christians should not be running into battle spiritually stark naked! God wants you to be able to resist temptation and to choose good over bad, so he shows you how to be properly equipped.
In the third passage, John quotes Jesus telling Nicodemus the point of God’s plan: God loves you, so he sent Jesus to bring back to him all who will believe. The first passage tells you how to develop Christian attributes, and the second passage tells you how to use those attributes. But this third is most important for your life, and for answering the question I posed: it tells you WHY you should do these things.
Jesus offered the Samaritan woman living water. You too have the chance to drink; do you want sterilized bottled water, or are you willing to drink from the source?
-Charles Peterson