I posted this on Facebook a few night ago and had a surprisingly big response. Thought I’d post it here to preserve it and keep the conversation going:
For all who think the Bible is a Rated G fairy tale, the Bible is actually a Rated R true story. It has sex, murder, witchcraft, betrayal, espionage, treason, racism, and maniacal dictators. But the light shed on those things is one that portrays them with moral accuracy. When it’s evil, the Bible calls it evil. When it’s justice, the Bible calls it justice. When it’s good the Bible calls it good.
I say that to strike a blow at the mentality that Christians are an apple-pie-in-sky backwards community of people who can’t relate to the real world, and the mentality that the Bible is an irrelevant archaic work to be aesthetically appreciated but not respected or believed. I also say this to remind the religious community that over-sheltering our children from the harsh realities of sin, making sex a dirty word when the Bible doesn’t do so, or avoiding the opportunity to coach our children through culture is neither wise nor biblical. Let’s learn from the Bible’s honest lens, and learn from the ultimate narrative of One who left safety, comfort, heaven’s innocence, and the shelter of shadowless light to walk in a darker world, that he might lead His own to the light.
Amen!
I just recently started a chronological reading plan and reading through Genesis I just had to take a step back and say Whoah! That’s in the bible? I think a lot of Christians (including myself) approach the bible with a I-know-what-this-and-it-should-make-perfect-sense attitude, but the fact is that the bible is Truth and it is “sharper than any two edged sword”. It’s quite a hard and painful book to read sometimes! But with the help of the Holy Spirit it cuts through our sinful hearts and reveals God’s Truth.
In Christ,
|Hunter
P.S. I’ve read Discipleship by Grace and I follow your website regularly. Just wanted to let you know that it has had a huge influence on me and my walk with Christ as well as my fiancee.
Thanks, Hunter! I appreciate the comment and the encouragement.
“I-know-what-this-and-it-should-make-perfect-sense”
Man Hunter, I am feeling glad to hear you say this. We must make sure to encourage our brothers and sisters to just believe and read with love for Jesus Christ. Then we will read verses like, “thinking they were wise, they became fools.” –Romans 1:22
The Holy spirit is telling me, or we would understand these words, written by Him,
4The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 4And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 4No! You will not die,” the serpent said to the woman.”
5″For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. ”
We read not for our own wisdom and glory, but for the love and glory of HaShem, in Christ Jesus!
amen
May God bless you Hunter, with greater love and fear of The LORD
Thank you Marty!
It really is not about us at all but all about Him
God bless
Amen
“When it’s evil, the Bible calls it evil. When it’s justice, the Bible calls it justice. When it’s good the Bible calls it good.”
God does not change like the shifting shadows.
May Jesus Christ continually grant you wisdom and love in your ministry of The Word.