Eternal Approach

God will not reveal truth to whomever seeks it.

A man must seek God “in Spirit and in truth” in order to discover what God has said in His word.

This means, that even a highly-educated Christian, with a doctorate in Biblical studies, who has served as a pastor and preached countless sermons, and written many Christian classics, is not guaranteed to understand the truth whenever he chooses to know it.

It also means, that a Christian, trained in Old Testament Hebrew and New Testament Greek, with a scientific background and a keen mind for technical studies, will be able to properly understand the meaning of Genesis.

Because mental ability, educational prowess, high academic pedigree, scientific training, and 10 doctorates in Divinity studies cannot open the meanings of the word of God to someone who is unwilling to accept the clear meaning of the scriptures.

The scriptures that God will reveal to a small child who has simple faith.

The Cult of Personality

Modern Christianity has become a cult of personality. Where men are followed rather than the scriptures. Where popular Christian men determine the manner in which we approach the scriptures.

This way that we are told to approach the Bible, is critical. Especially when popular Christian teachers are unable to accept what the Bible clearly says. Despite all their assurances,to the people that follow them, that they do believe what the Bible says — above all else.

But then, teach something different.

Popular Evangelical leaders often twist the scriptures to mean something else.

They try to dazzle us “with science”; or, as the song says, blind us “with science”. Because of their infatuation with the knowledge and technological advances of man. Accepting as truth, what the majority of scientists believe about the origin of man.

Even though those beliefs clearly contradict the scriptures.

This happens because supposedly Christian organizations tell us that scientific consensus must now dictate how we properly interpret scripture!

And Christians believe them because these leaders seem like good guys. They write good books. They speak about “social justice” and “love” and “human flourishing”, and they are educated, and they are “winsome” in their manner, and they exhibit a hundred other nice things that the modern Evangelical is infatuated with today.

We Choose Our Bible Filter

In recent posts, we discussed how unscriptural traditions are corrupting the church?

How, just like the Pharisees in the New Testament, men are still “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.” (Mark 7:13)

Now, you may say that this verse is only speaking of the Pharisees and their legalism. But the principle is the same. It is simply a question of what we are distracted by.

Or, to say it another way, what filter we choose to use to interpret the word of God.

Or, what color glasses we put on to interpret what the Bible says.

We actually make a choice in that. We choose whose influence affects our interpretation of the scriptures.

We are told that it’s not correct if we just believe that God said the right words. That He  used the correct phrases, and used all the right context for us. And that we cannot just simply understand what He meant.

The Simple Man

The truth is, God does not hide things from us. Not if we come to him “in Spirit and in truth.”

A man who truly desires to know the truth may know it. And rest upon it. And accept that history and scientific statements in the Bible are accurate. And that we don’t need the scholars or the academic elites to tell us that it really means something else.

God wrote the Bible so that even a simple man may understand what He meant. And God has promised to give wisdom to those who ask Him for it — in faith.

But He will keep truth hidden from the “wise and prudent” of this world.

“At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” (Matthew 11:25)

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