Before reading this month, I rarely if ever questioned the reliability of the bible. By nature, I’ve always taken the word of God to be what it says it is and; thus, attributed any struggles with “believing” it to my own lack of faith. Early on in my faith I read myriad books on the authenticity of Jesus and felt solidly established that the case for Christ had in fact been settled. Stumbling into this month’s reading practically forced me to question (or try at least) what I know about the word of God. I don’t come from a background of questioning as asking questions on a sports team will typically only end one way – with lots of running. I find more often than not that my heart questions far more than my head, so when I find myself at the crossroads of illusion and reality I try forcefully to put what I know before what I feel.
My old mentor and I used to talk a lot about knowing what we believe before we end up in the wilderness. I think the same can be said about the word of God. Darrell Bock comments that “We tenderly set a halo on the forehead of feeling and miracle, but in times of greatest loss it is the written Word that carries us through, not feeling.” Reflecting on this, I see the value in understanding the reliability of the bible in my personal walk with the Lord. If the bible is to be the crutch upon which I lean, then it stands that I should have great faith in its authenticity. I don’t want to end up in a desert place with a struggle to trust AND have questions about whether the Word where my trust comes from is actually true.
Though this has occurred several times over, I continue to be awed by the presence of each month’s topic in my immediate surroundings. Whether it is a product of open eyes or abundant presence, I found more than a few different articles about the bible’s reliability in major news sources recently. Upon reading one on whether we can believe what the bible says about heaven and hell, I came across this comment which succinctly illustrates my view on God’s word as truth in my life: “All we have to go by is the Word of God. If we stray from that, and fill in the blanks for ourselves, then Jesus becomes a colorful mascot and his death for our sins becomes little more than thoughtful favor.”
So, I suppose my questions fall around this: How does reason and following God’s word relate?
Does my obedience lack reason or is it full of it? And, if so, how is that I obey the following scripture?
“It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into fiery Gehenna.”
Which scripture is absolute and which is open to interpretation? Additionally, where does my view fall along the spectrum being open to a literal interpretation and allowing grace to do its job? Is it logical for me to gouge out my eye? I understand what is being said, but my struggle comes with what true obedience to these types of words from God actually looks like. I will always struggle to obey the things I know God commands. But if this is true, how can I fight to obey the things that seem open to interpretation? I’m fairly certain that when we reach heaven we will all be fully aware that we were wrong to a varying degree. That said, I sense the overwhelming need of the Holy Spirit acting in his role of advisor in the midst of all these questions.
