“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitible for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness: so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

I was up late last night watching Pierce Morgan inteview Mark Driscoll a popular “Mega-church pastor”.  Morgan, who is a Catholic, contended that since society has changed “we must drag the Bible kicking and screaming” to adapt to our modern times.  Morgan asked, “if the majority of Americans are for same-sex marriages, would you change your position?” 

I am afraid this is the way many of us read the Bible.  We twist God’s Word into painful contortions in order to fit what we are already doing in our lives.  Driscoll responded by giving three options for how we can handle the Bible:

1. We can reject it.
2. We can change it.  Or,
3. We can accept it.

He was right.  Those are our three options. 

Let us never reject the Bible.  

A rejection of the Bible is equivalent to a rejection of Christ.  Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).  Just a few verses later Jesus said, “He who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him….If anyone loves Me, he will keep my word….He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the Word which you hear is not Mine, bu the Father’s who sent Me” (John 14:21-24).  

Let us never try to change the Bible.

It would have been easy for the prophet Micaiah to “adapt” his message to fit what the wicked King Ahab had already heard from the false prophets.  However, Micaiah stood strong. The Bible records the event in a simple but straightforward style the conversation between Micaiah and the messenger from Ahab:  “The messenger spoke to him saying, Behold, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king.  So please let your word be like one of them and speak favorably.  But Micaiah said, As the Lord lives, what my God says, that will I speak” (2 Chronicles 18:12-13).  Jesus asked, “Why do you yourselves transgres the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” (Matthew 15:3). Jesus then said, “And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition” (Matthew 15:6).

 Let us accept the Bible

Moses reminded the children of Israel the great life that is in store for those who obey God’s Word (Deuteronomy 30:8-10).  We are all reminded togehter that the Word of God is not too difficult for us to keep.  Moses said:

 “For this commandment which I command you today is not to difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.  It is not in heaven, that you should say, Who will go up to heaven for us to get for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?  Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?  But the word of God is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it” (Deuteronomy 30:11-14).

We choose the will of God for our lives when we submit to the Word of God which He gave for our lives.  Moses gave this beautiful invitation to God’s Word so that he could challenge the people to choose to find life in that same Word.  Moses said, “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the LORD your God and to walk in His ways and keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments” (Deuteronomy 30:15-16a).  One of my favorite conclusions to any sermon ever preached is delivered here by Moses:

I call heaven and earth to witness agaionst you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse.  So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendents, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give them.”  (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).

What will we do with the Bible?

What will we do with the Bible?  The question is the same as “What will you do with Jesus?”  We cannot change Him into our own personal version of God.  We cannot afford to reject Him, because we are lost without Him (Acts 4:12).  We must accept Him, and we must accept His Word the Bible. 

For the word of God isliving and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intents of the heart.  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do (Hebrews 4:12-13).