Your Attitude Toward The Bible is Your Attitude Toward
God
"He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words,
hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken,
the same shall judge him in the last day." (John
12:48, KJV)
The manner in which one treats the Bible is an index
to one's attitude toward God. I hear people say, "The
Bible does not mean anything to me. I read it but it
just does not mean anything to me." I doubt that
the one that says this realizes the significance of
the statement. What the Bible says to one depends upon
one's attitude toward it.
The Bible is like God in this sense. Here is an instance
of where the Bible is like God. "And when Saul
inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither
by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets" (I Samuel
28:6). Why was it that the Lord had nothing to say
to Saul? Had God changed? Where was the problem?
Those familiar with the life of Saul know that his past
life was one that despised the Word of God and this
was an index to his character. God gave Saul specific
commands to obey. But what was his attitude toward
them? Were they commands that he could not understand?
No. Even Saul did not say he did not understand what
was to be done. Ponder carefully the Lord's statement
by the prophet Samuel. "It repenteth me that I
have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back
from following me, and hath not performed my commandments.
And it grieved Samuel, and he cried all night unto
the Lord" (I Samuel 15:11). What happened? Saul's
attitude toward God's commandments was his attitude
toward God.
God sent Samuel to Saul and the first thing Saul said
was "I have performed the commandment of the Lord"
(I Samuel 15:13). But Samuel told Saul he had not done
what God said. Saul's pride got in his way and it affected
his attitude toward God and His Word. Sauls attitude
toward God's Word was also his attitude toward God.
Samuel said to Saul, "Hath the Lord as great delight
in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the
voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to hearken than the fat of rams" (I Samuel
15:22). Let no one be mistaken, one's attitude toward
the Word of God is one's attitude toward God. Saul's
rejection of God's commandments was a rejection of
God. The time came when God had nothing to say to him.
How tragic.
Look at another example. "Then he questioned with
him in many words: but he answered him nothing"
(Luke 23:9). Doesn't this seem like a strange reaction
of Christ? Some of the most familiar teaching that
Christ gave came in answer to questions He received.
In Mark 12 a scribe came to Christ and asked him, "Which
is the greatest commandment?" Christ answered
the scribe by quoting Deuteronomy 6:4 and Leviticus
19:18. Now watch what happens. "And the scribe
said unto him, well, Master, thou hast said the truth:
for there is one God: and there is none but he: and
to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding,
and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and
to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole
burnt offerings and sacrifices" (Mark 12:32, 33).
Write the comment of Christ deep on the tablets of
the heart. "And when Jesus saw that he answered
discreetly, he said unto him, thou art not far from
the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask
him any questions" (Mark 12:34). Isn't it clear
that the scribe's attitude was one that showed respect
for the Word that Christ quoted from the Old Testament
and thus his respect for Christ. His attitude seems
to be placed in contrast to that of the other leaders.
His attitude toward the Word of God was an index of
his attitude toward Christ and this brought him near
the kingdom.
What was Herod's attitude toward Christ? Luke 23:8 gives
the answer. "And when Herod saw Jesus, he was
exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him for
a long season, because he had heard many things of
him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by
him." His attitude toward Christ closed the door
for understanding anything Christ said. What is your
attitude?
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