To Reject the Bible is to Reject God
1 Thessalonians 4v8
3rd December 2021
Last time, we read 1 Thessalonians 4v1-7, which urges us to live our lives in a way that pleases God. In particular, that passage speaks about sexual ethics, but it ends with these words: "The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life." That call to purity applies in every area of our lives.
The next thing Paul writes is:
1 Thessalonians 4:8
Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who
gives you his Holy Spirit.
Sometimes we hear people say "The church teaches this" or "The church teaches that". But a good church only teaches the Bible. We don't teach what we think or, at least we shouldn't. We should only teach what God says, in the Bible.
God created the universe and all that's in it. God has the right to teach us what's good and what's bad, what's right and what's wrong. And God has the right to demand that we obey His teaching. Without God we wouldn't exist.
God has given us free will, but our free will isn't perfect. Nothing about us is perfect. But we do have the ability, but not the right, to do what we want, or to decide for ourselves what we think is right. But God our creator knows what's good for us and what's bad for us, and He's told us how to live, in the Bible.
If we ignore what the Bible teaches, then we're not arguing with the church, we're arguing with God. And that is a much more serious matter, isn't it? Do you really want to argue with God? Do you really think you'll win the argument? Do you really think you know better than He does?
And, if you're a Christian, God gives you His Holy Spirit, to live in you and to teach you. The Holy Spirit will help you understand the Bible, if you want Him to, if you have an open mind. The problem is that we tend not to have open minds. We want the Bible to teach what we already think. But the whole point of reading the Bible is to learn new things, to gain God's perspective on things, because God is always right, and we're so often wrong.
Whether you're a new Christian or a mature one, or even if you're not yet a Christian, the Bible will teach you the truth, but something inside you will want to believe whatever you were taught by your parents, or your teachers, or your experience, or your prejudices, rather than accept God's teaching. May God grant us true repentance – which is the willingness to think differently.
God does know better than our parents, our teachers, or us.
If you struggle with any of this, pray to the Lord your God, who will make it possible for you to live His way more and more.