Why it Really isn't Spiritually Dangerous to Love God's Word (part 2 of 2)

I'm going to throw caution to the wind, here, and start right off with four very dogmatic statements: 1) The Bible IS God's inspired Word (meaning it is His very utterance; the "outbreathing" of God) 2) Because it is the very Word OF GOD, the Bible is incapable of contradicting itself. 3) A TRUE knowledge of the Bible will not make anyone proud 4) I've never met a single person who is in any danger of knowing the Bible TOO WELL.

I realize any poor fool with a smart PHONE can go to Google and easily produce a second-hand list of any number of SUPPOSED or APPARENT "contradictions" in scripture. But let me tell you, do a thorough, bona-fide, HONEST study of those passages in their proper context and the Bible will ultimately be vindicated every time; the only real contradiction will be that the self-appointed "judge" of the Bible is proven wrong, and finds himself judged instead, by God's infallible Word (see "The Battle for the Bible, " by Harold Lindsell; "Things Hard to be Understood," by David Cloud; "The Book of Bible Problems," by Gerardus Bouw).

Many, MANY a proud skeptic has turned to humble, unassailable belief through the true, objective study of the many so-called "contradictions" of Holy Scripture. Our All-wise God has orchestrated it so that the closer you look, the GREATER the Book!

Therefore, the same God-breathed Book that promises that the man whose delight IS the Word of God, and who meditates on it "day and night," will be spiritually stable, prosperous and fruitful (Psalm 1:1-3) will NOT do a total 180 later and inform us, "but if you REALLY get to know this Book, it will only puff you up with pride!"

Take a look for yourself at the CONTEXT of I Corinthians 8:1 and you'll see Paul was not talking about Bible study at all when he said, "knowledge puffeth up." If he were, that would also seem blatantly contradictory of what Paul, himself, wrote in I Timothy 4:13-16, II Timothy 2:15 and 3:15-17 (among others)!

We are fallen human critters terminally addicted to "the pride OF LIFE," and, yes, we can, all of us, get our heads puffed up like a blowfish on steroids over the most ludicrous of things at the drop of our highly-coveted designer Stetson hats! Pride is our very nature; you could say it's in our DNA (Romans 1:30). Don't blame that on the Bible; it's not the Words of God going IN that defile the man; it's the pride just itching to puff its way OUT of a man's already depraved heart (see Mark 7:14-23).

But there is a knowledge that will NEVER puff you up. Not ever! The knowledge of Jesus Christ.

"Take MY yoke upon you, and learn OF ME; for I AM MEEK AND LOWLY OF HEART."

KNOWING CHRIST conforms us to the character of Christ (Matthew 11:29-30; II Corinthians 3:18) who is the personification of meekness and humility.

And Christ is the very theme of Scripture (Luke 24:27; John 5:39, 46; Revelation 19:10). When the Jews demanded of Jesus, "Who ARE you?" He answered, "Even the same that I SAID unto you from the beginning" (John 8:25). In other words, "the Words that I have spoken unto you reveal accurately just who I am; I am exactly and altogether what my words represent Me to be."

KNOWING CHRIST is the Christian's greatest need (Philippians 3:10; Ephesians 1:17) and knowing Christ is the central purpose and real objective of authentic study of the Word of God. And knowing Christ does not breed the grotesque fruits of pride in the hearts of men.

Men do grow prideful when they feel they've attained mastery of sterile, accumulated facts. But shame on us if we view God's Holy Word just as we would a book on chemistry or mechanical engineering, or even as the most brilliantly written epic poem or novel.

Jesus says, "The words that I speak unto you are SPIRIT, and are LIFE" (John 6:63). That cannot be said of any other book known to man.

The Bible is God's living, powerful, ACTIVE Word (Hebrews 4:12; Jeremiah 23:29).

INTERACT with this LIFE, and it will not leave you unchanged (Revelation 3:20). Value this Book for what it REALLY is: God's chosen vehicle for intimately knowing His Beloved Son, and you shall be satisfied when you awake with His likeness (Psalm 17:15).