Trust AND Obey » Bible

License and Registration, Please

Dave Miller — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:00:55 +0000

The police officer took his time getting out of his car. I hadn’t done anything wrong (I thought), but my heart rate was up a bit nonetheless.

I sat in my car on the side of the road. My car was in park, my flashers were on, all my windows were down and my sweaty hands gripped the steering wheel at 10 and 2.

Finally, his door opened and he stepped out. I watched him in my rear-view mirror.

“Good morning, officer!” I thought to myself. That’s what I’d say when he got to my window. Try to be pleasant.

He walked directly to the back of my car. I heard something scraping against my bumper as he wobbled in my rear-view.

“Did he step in something? I thought.

Then I saw him talking into the radio mic on his shoulder.

Snow! There was snow covering my license plate and he had to scrape it off to read it. I whispered an oath as I finally exhaled. I could see my breath.

He walked backward a few steps toward his cruiser, never taking his eyes off of me.

“Smart man,” I thought, “and he doesn’t have any idea yet that I have a gun.”

He talked into his shoulder again and then paused to listen. I noticed his head jerk toward me just a little. He knew.

I could feel my heart thumping now. I tightened my grip on the wheel. My neck was hot and my fingers were cold. The gun felt like an anvil on my left hip.

He shifted his weight on his feet and took a lungful of cold Ohio air. I could see his breath too.

Now my ears were hot and my hands almost slipped off the wheel they were so cold and wet. I never noticed before how red the lines in my knuckles were. I glanced in my rear-view again and he was gone.

“Good morning, Sir.” I heard as he entered my peripheral vision. I jumped a little, not sure if he noticed it though. “May I see your driver’s license, registration and proof of assurance, please?”

“Officer, I have a license to carry concealed and I am armed. What would you like me to do?”

“Where is the firearm?” His voice was like a rock.

“In a holster on my left hip, under my shirt.” I squeaked.

“That’s fine,” he said, “Keep your hands on the wheel unless I tell you to do otherwise.”

“Yes sir. My license is in my left back pocket.”

“Get it with your left hand only. Keep your other hand on the wheel.”

“Yes sir. I need to open the glove box too.”

“Go ahead.”

He stood slightly behind me outside my window, his body parallel to the side of my car. I never saw his right hand and figured it was resting on the butt of his pistol.

I leaned to my right, slowly opened the glove box and removed my insurance card and registration. Holding them between my thumb and forefinger, I returned my right hand to the wheel and reached with my left hand really, *really* slowly toward my left back pocket. I removed my wallet and brought both hands back to the wheel.

He moved closer and placed his right hand on the sill of my window.

I relaxed a little bit as I removed my licenses and handed everything over. “Here you go.” I managed.

He took them from me without a word, straightened up and walked toward the front of my car. He never turned more than halfway away from me as he walked around the front of my car and toward the side of the highway. He keyed his mic and called in my information.

I thought ice might be forming under my hands on the steering wheel. My heart wasn’t beating as fast, but now I could feel sweat running down the side of my head. For a misguided moment, I thought about unzipping my coat, and then thought better of it.

His breath was white with little sparkles in the morning sun. Mine looked like a gray fog in the shade. He walked to the passenger side of my car and leaned into the open window.

My grip tightened. The wheel would never be the same.

“Sir, do you know why I stopped you this morning?” he asked.

“No, sir.”

“You had snow covering your rear license plate. Are you aware that you have to keep it clear of obstructions?”

“I am now, sir!” I replied briskly, “I’m sorry about that.”

He held out my paperwork and said sternly, “And this isn’t what I asked you for, you know!”

My hands stayed on the wheel. I just looked at him, my mouth half open. I think I might have blinked.

“I asked you for your driver’s license, registration and proof of assurance.” He stressed the last word.

My hands stayed on the wheel. I just looked at him, my mouth half open. I think I might have blinked.

He grinned as he tucked my paperwork under the edge of the bible sitting on the passenger’s seat. “I noticed the cross you have hanging from your rear view mirror at the same time that my dispatcher said you had a license to carry concealed. Then I saw your bible just before I got to your window. I’m usually a little nervous approaching an armed citizen, but this time I felt pretty calm.”

I managed to close my mouth and take a short breath.

“I thought I’d have a little fun with you and see if you might hand me your bible as proof of assurance.” He said as he tapped the book on the seat.

“I never even caught it.” I replied as I tried to smile. “I thought you said insurance. I guess I didn’t expect to be pulled over by a Christian.”

“I’m a Christian and a cop; but I guess I’m not much of a comedian!”

“I’m sure I’ll laugh about it later” I said as I finally found the ability to smile.

“I’m sure we both will.” He replied as he straightened back up. “Make sure you keep your license plate clear of snow and have a blessed day, brother!”

“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir… brother. You too!”

UPDATE: This article is a work of fiction; a creative writing exercise focusing on dialog and descriptive realism. I welcome constructive criticism in comments or via email. Thanks for reading!

God Told Me To ______

Dave Miller — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 02:19:47 +0000

You’ve seen it, you’ve heard it; you might have even said it. I have too, but now I question it.

I’m talking about direct, personal communication from God.

Usually it takes the form of something like, “I’ve been praying to God that my son will stop stealing from me. This morning I woke up and God’s answer was in my head, ‘Be as patient with him as I’ve been with you.’” This is the “answered prayer” form of direct, personal revelation. It takes the position that God speaks directly to people in words, thoughts, dreams or visions.

But how do you know that word is really from God? Do you have Caller ID?

It might sound right, it might feel right, and it might even be effective, but that doesn’t mean that it is from God.

Maybe you should be patient with your son and not provoke him to anger (Ephesians 6:4). But then again, maybe you shouldn’t enable his sinful actions anymore by being patient. It could be time for you to apply the rod for a change (Proverbs 13:24, Proverbs 23:13-14).

This supposed ‘word from God’ has a tendency to encourage the non-discerning Christian to “Let go and let God.” It’s a pithy saying, but it lacks something that is rather important:

Infallible authority.

God has spoken. He has revealed his Word to us primarily, unerringly and unfailingly through His Son, Jesus (John 1:1, 14, Hebrews 1:1-2) and through His Word as written by the Prophets and Apostles. The Holy Bible, in its autographs, is inerrant and infallible (2 Tim. 3:16). Our faithful translations are the only reliable, sure and authoritative source for knowing the will of God.

Ideas that pop into your head, dreams and nightmares, an odd pressure in the pit of your stomach and feelings you ’sense,’ do not carry the same weight as the Word of God found in the Bible. Temper your liver shivers with a knowledge that is deeply rooted in God’s word if you want to avoid chaos and confusion.

I’m not saying that God never ‘speaks’ to people in this way. I don’t know if He does or not. What I do know is that the God of the Bible is not the God of confusion or contradiction (1 Cor. 14:33). If the ideas or words that you “hear” from God are clearly opposed to Holy Scripture, then they are not from God.

On the flip side, if the message you received from God really is from God, then it is infallible and should be in the Bible, right? And you must be a prophet that can say along with Moses, “Thus saith the LORD:_________.” Are you really comfortable with that?

Be discerning, know your Bible, talk to your pastor or a trusted elder about what the Bible says. Be sure to test the things you ‘hear’ (Acts 17:11) before you obey the voices in your head (1 John 4:1).

Updates:

Dan Phillips of the Pyromaniacs blog has more to say about this subject.

Tim Challies chimes in on the subject as well.

Dorothy has been thinking about this too.

For a very disturbing, but powerful message on this subject, go to: http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2011/08/pornographic-divination.html

I also highly recommend a short book I read this past summer if you want to learn more about finding God’s will. Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung

An Assignment

Dave Miller — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:27:45 +0000

The Assignment: Read the following scripture and then answer the question at the end.

Matthew 25:31-34: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

v. 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

v. 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The Question: Do you believe this?

Do you believe that Jesus is coming again and that He will judge both the living and the dead?

Do you believe that He will separate all humanity into two groups?

Do you believe that one group will go away to eternal torment and the other to eternal life in the presence of God?

A simple yes or no is required. Either you believe it or you don’t.

If you don’t believe it and you call yourself a Christian, you either need to repent for your unbelief or stop calling yourself a Christian. I’m serious. You shame the name of Christ if you disbelieve His own testimony of what will happen at the end of days.

If you do believe it but don’t engage in personal evangelism, you either need to repent for your unbelief or stop calling yourself a Christian. I’m even more serious now. You shame the name of Christ even more if you say you believe his testimony, but disobey his commandments (John 3:36).

I think that there are only a few Christians who personally engage in evangelism to the extent they can. If you are doing so, may God strengthen you and bless your efforts.

Matthew 28:19-20 – Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

In all likelihood, most of the readership of this little article believe that Jesus means what He says but, for some reason, don’t give much effort to personal evangelism. If this is the case with you, as it is with me, then we have some repenting to do.

If we really believed what Jesus said about a final judgment and eternity in either heaven or hell, then we would be far less complacent about our unbelieving co-workers, neighbors and family members. But many of us don’t really believe Jesus, even though we say we do. The proof is found in our action or inaction in the face of certain death and torment for those on the judge’s left.

O Father in Heaven: Your ways are so far above and beyond my ways. Except for your amazing grace, I would be counted among the goats. Forgive my unbelief and strengthen me to share the Good News with those who need to hear it. Embolden me to speak the truth with love and humility to my family, friends and neighbors. For the sake of Christ Jesus and his unforgettable work on the cross, grant that I might become a better witnesses to the transcendent love that is you, O God. Amen.

American Pickers (Part 2.5)

Dave Miller — Mon, 02 May 2011 02:48:12 +0000

“Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.” — Jude 3

A reader (Jon D.) commented at the end of Part 1, “I must confess that this is my “default” setting far too often.” Mine too, Jon. This is the natural tendency of every human being and Christians are no exception. Those who think they are standing should be careful. (1 Cor. 10:12 )

Toward the end of Part 2 in this series, I related some ideas for what to do if you think you might be an American Picker. But I didn’t write much about what to do when you encounter a picker in your church who is unaware of his ‘pickiness.’ The reason I omitted this is Matthew 7:3-5 which states that first you must take the log out of your own eye, and then you can pick the speck from your brother’s eye. This wisdom from Jesus is timeless and especially relevant to the American Christian.

American popular society says that one should never judge another. Some Christians even take Matthew 7:1 out of context and say nobody should ever judge anyone. This doesn’t mean that we mustn’t engage in biblical discernment, though. Jesus clearly says that we can and should show love to fellow Christians by helping them when sin is affecting their life (“…then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5 and Luke 17:3) Paul teaches the same thing in Ephesians 5:21 and adds that the reason we do this is out of reverence for Christ; knowing, of course, that we will be judged by the same standard (Matthew 7:2).

I have met and conversed with many ‘great’ pickers, and responded to them with everything from silently walking away, to citing scriptural commands, to heated verbal conflict. I have never had a positive encounter with a picker when I approached the person with the word of God and beat him over the head with it. (Figuratively speaking, of course. I haven’t tried actually beating somebody with a bible…)

Pickers want so badly not to accept certain biblical truths that they usually respond with belligerence. The best result I’ve ever experienced after confronting a picker was agreeing to disagree on what the bible means and not talk about it anymore. The worst result I’ve experienced was having objectionable epithets and implied threats hurled at me. Either way, these encounters often result in the loss of fellowship and often friendship too.

There is a simple explanation for this, the thing we need to hear most is usually the thing we want to hear least.

Take heart in knowing that it is impossible for you to change a person’s heart or argue them into the kingdom of heaven. God the Holy Spirit is the only person who can convict someone of sin. (John 16:8) He may use us to plant a seed, or water one that another planted, but it is God who gives the growth. (1 Cor. 3:6)

Confronting or correcting an American Picker in your church must be done with humility and brokenness. Removing a log from your eye should leave a scar; but Christ has healed you completely, so today you bear no scars. You see clearly when you should be blind. Tell your Christian brother or sister about the effect of sin on yourself before you repented. Let your humbling experience be an example to them of loving, obedient submission to God Almighty, the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, and the healing power of Jesus. Rejoice in God’s forgiveness and let that be the contact point of your witness to your fellow believer.

I beg you; please don’t make the same mistake I did. I once (behaved, thought, believed, denied, etc.) just like you. I wasn’t even aware of it until someone said something to me about it and showed me in the Bible that God says it is a sin. At first, I didn’t listen; I even got angry with them for daring to tell me I was wrong. But afterward, the Holy Spirit convinced me that I really was sinning. The Word of God was clear. God led me to repentance and provided the means for my forgiveness and justification; the person and work of his only begotten son, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Please consider what I’m saying to you. I hope it is apparent that I’m doing this because I care about you. The most hateful thing I could do would be to say nothing and let you continue in the path I was on and be hurt as much or more than I was. I beg you; turn to Christ and trust in Him. He alone can give you the power to reject this sin you love so much; and He can heal you completely.

American Pickers (Part Two)

Dave Miller — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 02:36:09 +0000

“Scripture is like a river, broad and deep, shallow enough here for lambs to go wading, but deep enough there for an elephant to float.” –Gregory Dialogus

Before I get into the first of three types of Pickers identified in the first part of this series, I want to make something perfectly clear to the reader. I am not saying that American Pickers are not Christians. I’m not saying they are Christians either. Since the First Century, when Jesus established His church, the wheat and the tares have grown up side-by-side. Jesus knew this would be the case (Matthew 13:24-30). Even though you and I can look at the fruit produced by others, none of us can know the heart of another. Jesus is the ultimate judge and His righteous judgment at the end of time will be the only verdict that counts (Rom 14:10, 2 Cor 5:10).

Having said all that: Onward!

The Scripture Picker

From Part 1: Simply defined, American Pickers are people who profess to be Christians, but pick and choose which parts of orthodox (biblical) Christianity they believe. For example, they treat the bible like a smorgasbord, taking their fill of what they like and passing on what they don’t.

Scripture Pickers are not unlike the History Channel’s American Pickers, Mike and Frank. They root around in the bible until they find something that they adore, something that they can take hold of and make their own; something that doesn’t cost them too dearly.

Scripture Pickers also overlook the things in the bible that don’t interest them; things they think are ugly or broken or for which there is no value in today’s marketplace.

But the bible is not a collection of interesting debris inside an old barn; the bible is the inspired Word of God and every single word is valuable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness. (2 Tim. 3:16)

Example 1:

Matthew 6: 9-13 is one of the two places in scripture where we find what we call The Lord’s Prayer. But can you tell me what comes right after these famous verses? (Mat 6:14-15) “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Whoa! Hold on just a minute! Does that say that if I don’t forgive other people, then God won’t forgive me? It sure would be a lot easier to just forget about those two verses and memorize The Lord’s Prayer, wouldn’t it?

This is an example of picking the things we like and passing on what we don’t because it is too costly to us personally.

Example 2:

Romans 8:28 is a verse that American Pickers love to quote, and I am foremost among them. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God,” This is a wonderfully comforting verse, and all Christians should love it. But I wonder how many love the next two verses, (Rom. 8:29-30). For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;”

Now just wait a minute – what’s all this about predestination and foreknowledge? I thought I was in control of my life and that I chose to believe in God… Not so, God chooses us!

This is an example of overlooking the things we think are broken, or outdated in the Bible. Usually we think this because we revere societal values more than biblical values.

If you know a Christian, or if you are a Christian who ignores difficult portions of scripture, or focuses only on the easy parts, what should you do?

First off, recognize the problem. It is a problem of unbelief in God’s word and His promises. The scripture was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3), and we either accept it or reject it in its entirety (Revelation 22:18-19). Take something away, and the Bible is no longer God’s complete and sufficient Word. Add something to it and it is now not wholly of God.

Secondly, and most importantly, confront the problem; confess your unbelief to God in prayer and ask His help in opening your eyes to the full majesty of God’s word. Pray that God would help you see that the Bible is overflowing with truth and grace. Without God, nothing you do will help your unbelief!

Finally, spend more time in the word. Seek out the portions of scripture you have trouble with and ask a trusted Christian mentor about them. Don’t feel bad about questioning God’s word, and don’t be afraid to ask hard questions. Chances are you’re not going to come up with an issue that hasn’t been addressed before. Don’t worry; God’s word can withstand your questions.

So what makes this such a danger to Christianity? Because Christians are encouraged to share their faith; and Christians who are unconvinced of the veracity and authority of scripture spread their weakened and muddled views to others. It’s like a contagious disease passing from one susceptible soul to another. A pastor with a low view of scripture is terribly dangerous because he becomes a Typhoid Mary, singlehandedly infecting scores or hundreds at a time.

“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” John 17:17

Resources I have and use:

If you have another three and a half minutes. Dr. John Piper has a very relevant commentary on this subject.

American Pickers (First in a series)

Dave Miller — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 03:25:34 +0000

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, – Colossians 3:16a

Who are the American Pickers?

The ones I’m referring to don’t have a show on History Channel, though their names could be Mike or Frank. The American Pickers I’m referring to are the greatest threat to Christianity in the world today; and that’s not hyperbole. They are more dangerous than Islam, Scientology, Paganism, Mormonism, Atheism, Universalism or any other anti-Christian “ism” you can think of.

Simply defined, American Pickers are people who profess to be Christians, but pick and choose which parts of orthodox (biblical) Christianity they believe. For example, they treat the bible like a smorgasbord, taking their fill of what they like and passing on what they don’t. They dwell on the aspects of God’s character they find reasonable and deny His equally holy facets that seem distasteful. They heed Jesus’ teachings about love, acceptance and forgiveness, while disregarding His hard sayings about hell, sinfulness and judgment.

As Paul Simon famously sang, “…a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.” This is what defines the American Picker.

Those who call themselves Christians and exercise these types of unbelief openly, are a great threat to Christianity because they infiltrate our camp and work for the enemy. They wear our uniform while they secretly poison our water supply. A lone spy within the walls of a city can do more harm than a hundred soldiers at the gates.

Every Christian who reads this is a ‘picker’ to some extent, at least privately. If we are human then we are sinners and our best attempts at holiness fall far short of the standard that God requires. (Romans 3:23, Isaiah 64:6). It is temptingly easy to apply the American Picker label to church-going folks I know, and I’m doubtless this tendency is in other Christians as well. But if you are like me, you should find a mirror and look for the picker in yourself before pointing a finger at someone else (Matthew 7:3-5).

My goal in this series is to describe the American Picker well enough that a discerning Christian can identify the threat quickly, protect himself and those for whom he is responsible, and take biblical action to neutralize the threat. Whether the threat is recognized in oneself or in another professing believer, proper identification and knowing what to do is crucial to correcting the error.

I hope you will join me in praying for this series to give God glory, to be edifying for the believer, and to be convicting for the American Picker we all know and (hopefully) love.

A Higher Authority

Dave Miller — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:45:37 +0000

A few months ago, on a Wednesday, a storm blew down a tree in my yard and broke my cable television and internet line.

My wife called the company and they promised to be there the next day to fix it. The next day it wasn’t fixed so I called the company myself. They said they couldn’t do it as planned, but they’d be happy to come back in three days to fix it. I told the man that was unacceptable and that they needed to get it fixed tomorrow.

He insisted that it was impossible, that they were already overbooked for Friday. I asked to speak with his supervisor. He said that she was busy. I offered to hold as long as it took. After holding for about five minutes, he informed me that the supervisor was still busy and that she couldn’t schedule anything before Sunday either. It was impossible for them to come out Thursday, Sunday was the absolute earliest they could be there. I again told him that three days was unacceptable and that I expected it to be fixed tomorrow.

I also told him that I knew they had repairmen laid off in the area and they could call them in to work, or call up the guys they have sitting in Columbus or Toledo that don’t have anything to do. I reiterated that I would hold for as long as it took to speak with his supervisor to get my service back tomorrow.

He put me back on hold for ten or fifteen more minutes. When he returned to the line, he informed me that he had spoken with his supervisor and they would have a repair crew at my house the next day.

YES!! VICTORY!!!

Amazing what can happen when you refuse to take ‘no’ for an answer. But I had to appeal to a higher authority. In any large consumer-oriented business, there are scads of people whose job is to say ‘no’ to the customer as kindly and politely as possible; but there are very few people that have real authority who can say ‘yes.’ The key for the pushy consumer, like me, is to get through to the people in authority regardless of how insulated they may be.

In your own life, who has the ultimate authority? There are really only two answers to that question: You or God? Another way to ask it is, “What is the highest authority in my life, my own will, or God’s will?” (Hint: Matthew 28:18, Luke 9:23, Luke 12:5)

I have only two points to make.

Point one: God has ultimate authority over all Christians’ lives (and in everyone’s life for that matter).

Point two: God’s will can be known only through reading the Bible and praying in the spirit.(General or special revelation are not sufficient or reliable respectively).

If we claim the name of Christ, we must subject ourselves to God’s will and subjecting ourselves to God’s will means subjecting ourselves to his Word. We recognize God’s will as the highest authority in our lives and we recognize the Bible as the highest authority on God’s will. (Luke 6:46, John 14:15)

The authority of scripture and the authority of God are so closely related that they are inseparable. To question one is to question both and to doubt one is to doubt both. If you have a low view of scripture, you will have a low view of God.

Keep God’s will the highest authority in your life.

—–

Bible Summary on Twitter

Dave Miller — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 02:22:36 +0000

If you’re on twitter, here’s an interesting person to follow. http://twitter.com/biblesummary Basically, the author, Chris Juby, plans to post a ‘twitterized’ summary of each chapter in the bible, consecutively, every day. She started with Genesis 1 about two weeks ago and is on course to post a summary of Revelation 22 on November 9, 2013. God willing, of course.

Her website is here: http://www.biblesummary.info

True Truth

Dave Miller — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 03:35:53 +0000

Contrary to believing in imaginary feelings, Christianity believes in objective, historical, revealed, actual, rational truth from God. – John MacArthur

If you’ve ever talked to someone about your faith, or religion in general, you’ve probably heard the words, “Well, that’s not what I believe.” And when you prod the person who says this, you ultimately come to the understanding that their belief is based upon nothing but their own feelings. It is an illusion. The god they believe in is a fabrication, a mixture of truth, mythology and outright lies. Their god has been created in their own imagination. To put a sharper point on it, they have created a god in their own image.

On the other hand, you may have talked to someone who used the words, “Well, that’s not what the bible says.” This is a person that you should listen to because they are referring to an unimpeachable source of truth, rather than their own thoughts and feelings. But you still have to have discernment skills.

Fred Phelps can tell you that the bible says that God hates homosexuals so we should all go protest at the funerals of American soldiers . Joel Osteen can quote 3 John 1:1-2 and tell you that it means that God wants you to be rich, healthy and beautiful; and that your earthly happiness is God’s greatest goal. Both these men claim to be Christians, but their twisted theology contradicts the truth.

You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. – 2 Peter 3:17-18

But you, beloved, build yourself up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.” – Jude 1:20

The only way to stay out of the snare of false teachers is to know the truth. Not ‘my’ truth or ‘your’ truth, but the ‘true truth.’ The truth of the Bible that comes from God. Pray for wisdom and discernment, spend time in the Word and in prayer.

Beautiful ‘Buts’ in the Bible

Dave Miller — Fri, 07 May 2010 12:00:12 +0000

The word ‘but’ changes whatever comes right before it. A ‘but’ is not always pleasant, like when somebody says to you, “I think you have a good idea, but…” It doesn’t matter what comes after a but like that, it isn’t going to be good.

But a ‘but’ is beautiful when it changes a bad beginning into a good end. For example, “I was sick last week but I got better” or “I once was lost but now am found.”

Here are some of my favorite buts in the New Testament

Matthew 4:4 – But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Quoting Deut. 8:3)

John 1:17 – For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 3:17 – For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 11:22 – Behold then the kindness and severity of God ; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness ; otherwise you also will be cut off.

1 Corinthians 15: 56-57 NKJV – The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 John 4:10 – In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Revelation 21:27 – and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Each of these verses contrasts two different states of being. Death and Life. Romans 6:23 makes this clearer, perhaps, than any other verse in the bible. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. I think this is the most beautiful but in the Bible.

Here is where I usually spend time summing up the point, but my words are useless. Read God’s word through His servant Paul.

Ephesians 2:1-10 – And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved ), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith ; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Truth.