All Peoples Guide to the Universe: Scripture our Guide for Life
Walk away point: Our lives often demonstrate that we hold more valuable what the world says over what God says and that needs to change.
One of the most tragic occurrences in the world at large, but sadly even in our churches, is that many have lost trust in the sufficiency and relevancy of the Bible. In the minds of countless people, the Bible is just an outdated book. Not only is the Bible treated as irrelevant in our day by non-Christians, but many professing Christians have lost the deep conviction of solaScriptura (scripture as the authority for Christian faith). I have no question that people in the church and abroad believe the bible contains some truth. But I believe we’d be hard pressed to find a majority of professing Christians who believe the Bible is absolute truth or total truth. A good deal of what we believe, the methods we employ and perspectives we hold, come from other sources than the Bible. Many would sooner believe what a university professor would say or maybe a scientist or a doctor since they are the supposed leading scholars and authorities on truth. In this lesson, we want to challenge the students to ask critical questions of themselves as to whether they really believe that the Bible is from God, is true, reliable, inerrant and so forth. While God can be known in some ways through creation he has "added the light of his Word in order that he might make himself known unto salvation."[1] Calvin compares Scripture to being like a pair of spectacles, that enable us to properly interpret what we see in creation:
“For as the aged, or those whose sight is defective, when any book, however fair, is set before them, though they perceive that there is something written, are scarcely able to make out two consecutive words, but, when aided by glasses, begin to read distinctly, so Scripture, gathering together the impressions of Deity, which, till then, lay confused in our minds, dissipates the darkness, and shows us the true God clearly.” [1]
For the Christian, the Bible should be our rule for life, the guide we follow. I have no doubt that many profess belief in the Bible, I just know that when it comes to actively applying the truth of God’s word to how we make decisions, what we do or even how we think, we very often fall short.
[1] Calvin, John. “The Need of Scripture, as a Guide and Teacher, in Coming to God as Creator.”
The Institutes of the Christian Religion. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2008.
Questions:
1. What has been the most important decision you have had to make up until this point in your life?
2. When you made this decision where did you look for help in making the decision? How did the choice or decision go for you?
3. How often do you apply the Bible to your life (how you should act) or in decision making?
Depending on your answer why or why not?
4. How often do those you ask for advice, whether family or friends, bring you to the bible for
guidance or instruction?
5. Why do you think we don’t turn to the Bible for help in how we are to act in particular situation or in decisions we make?
6. How would a better understanding and application of the bible help you to be different from the world (worldliness) and make a difference in the world?
Walk away point: Our lives often demonstrate that we hold more valuable what the world says over what God says and that needs to change.
One of the most tragic occurrences in the world at large, but sadly even in our churches, is that many have lost trust in the sufficiency and relevancy of the Bible. In the minds of countless people, the Bible is just an outdated book. Not only is the Bible treated as irrelevant in our day by non-Christians, but many professing Christians have lost the deep conviction of solaScriptura (scripture as the authority for Christian faith). I have no question that people in the church and abroad believe the bible contains some truth. But I believe we’d be hard pressed to find a majority of professing Christians who believe the Bible is absolute truth or total truth. A good deal of what we believe, the methods we employ and perspectives we hold, come from other sources than the Bible. Many would sooner believe what a university professor would say or maybe a scientist or a doctor since they are the supposed leading scholars and authorities on truth. In this lesson, we want to challenge the students to ask critical questions of themselves as to whether they really believe that the Bible is from God, is true, reliable, inerrant and so forth. While God can be known in some ways through creation he has "added the light of his Word in order that he might make himself known unto salvation."[1] Calvin compares Scripture to being like a pair of spectacles, that enable us to properly interpret what we see in creation:
“For as the aged, or those whose sight is defective, when any book, however fair, is set before them, though they perceive that there is something written, are scarcely able to make out two consecutive words, but, when aided by glasses, begin to read distinctly, so Scripture, gathering together the impressions of Deity, which, till then, lay confused in our minds, dissipates the darkness, and shows us the true God clearly.” [1]
For the Christian, the Bible should be our rule for life, the guide we follow. I have no doubt that many profess belief in the Bible, I just know that when it comes to actively applying the truth of God’s word to how we make decisions, what we do or even how we think, we very often fall short.
[1] Calvin, John. “The Need of Scripture, as a Guide and Teacher, in Coming to God as Creator.”
The Institutes of the Christian Religion. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2008.
Questions:
1. What has been the most important decision you have had to make up until this point in your life?
2. When you made this decision where did you look for help in making the decision? How did the choice or decision go for you?
3. How often do you apply the Bible to your life (how you should act) or in decision making?
Depending on your answer why or why not?
4. How often do those you ask for advice, whether family or friends, bring you to the bible for
guidance or instruction?
5. Why do you think we don’t turn to the Bible for help in how we are to act in particular situation or in decisions we make?
6. How would a better understanding and application of the bible help you to be different from the world (worldliness) and make a difference in the world?
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