Therefore, whoever nullifies one of
the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the
same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps
and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew
5:19 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
It is popular in our culture
to believe that truth is relative. It is whatever we want it to be. As a
result, many people have chosen to ignore the parts and commands in the Bible
which they do not like. Unfortunately for them, it doesn’t work that way. The
Bible is God’s sovereign Word. It is living and active and relevant. God is our
Creator and Judge. He decides what is right and wrong and we have no right to
argue. If we refuse to believe Him then we will pay the consequences. Disobedience
is tantamount to treason. It is siding with and following His enemy. There is
no middle ground. We cannot say we were just doing our thing; that is a lie from the enemy to deceive us into
following him. In Revelation, it says that anyone who adds to or takes away
from the words in this book will receive all the punishment held within it. It
is something God takes very seriously. He has every right to be obeyed, and by
refusing we are putting ourselves in His place, making ourselves God. Everything
in the Bible is there for a reason. I’m not just talking about the “big sins”
either. This counts for everything. All sin is treason against our holy,
perfect and righteous God. Teaching others to disregard anything in the Bible
is a serious offense, and duly punishable. That is why Paul said that those who
teach the Bible need to be very careful how they do it, and to not take up the
position lightly. We are held to a higher standard. The false teachers who
mistreat the sacred Word of God face harsh consequences. This warning in
Matthew does not apply only to official “teachers”, but to all who misuse the
Word, especially if they encourage others to follow their example. How do you
view the Word of God? Do you believe that it is completely true and to be
obeyed? Do you skirt around or ignore the commands and parts you don’t like?
Instead of avoiding or disregarding the Bible, whether from confusion or
dislike, seek to understand it. Ask God to help you understand what He means
and why He put it there. Find the truth. Ask God to help you humbly surrender
to Him and apply what He says. Ask Him to give you a heart that desires
godliness more than worldliness.
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