The "Live Right To Be Saved" Gospel

 

The Truth Shall Make You Free William Tyndale

 

2 Chronicles 30 — When the People Had Forgotten

There are chapters in the Bible that make you stop and think. Second Chronicles 30 is one of them.

Reading this chapter, I couldn't help but think about our own time. It is difficult to look around and not wonder how far many have drifted from the Scriptures. Yet, just as in Hezekiah's day, there are still people who have not forgotten. There are still those who are willing to hear, respond, and carry on.

But let's look at what was happening in Judah and Israel.

A neglected Passover

Hezekiah had become king, and he wanted to bring the people back to the LORD. One of the first things he did was make arrangements to keep the Passover.

Think about that for a moment. The Passover was not some minor observance. It was a reminder of how God had delivered Israel from Egypt. It was part of their history and their identity as a people.

Yet here they were, needing to be called back to something God had already given them.

Hezekiah sent letters throughout Israel and Judah, inviting the people to come to Jerusalem and keep the Passover unto the LORD.

The invitation was not limited to Judah. He wanted the people of Israel to return also.

The message was simple:

“Turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel...” (2 Chronicles 30:6).

Some mocked, but others humbled themselves

What happened next is especially telling.

The messengers went from city to city, but the response was not what everyone might have hoped.

Verse 10 tells us:

“...they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.”

There were people who wanted nothing to do with the invitation. Perhaps they had become so accustomed to their ways that the thought of returning to the LORD seemed foolish.

But the chapter does not end there.

Verse 11 gives us another picture:

“Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.”

There were still some who listened.

I find that word nevertheless worth stopping over. Some laughed, nevertheless some humbled themselves. Some rejected the invitation, nevertheless others came.

It reminds us that even when it appears that people have turned away, we should not assume everyone has.

A heart prepared to seek the LORD

The people gathered in Jerusalem, and the Passover was kept.

But there was another problem. Many of those who came had not properly purified themselves according to the requirements of the law.

Hezekiah did not ignore the matter. He prayed for them:

“The good LORD pardon every one” (2 Chronicles 30:18).

Then he gave the reason for his prayer. These were people who had prepared their hearts to seek God, even though they had not been cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.

And the Scripture says:

“And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.” (2 Chronicles 30:20).

What a remarkable moment.

The people had come with shortcomings, but they had come with hearts prepared to seek the LORD. Hezekiah prayed, and the LORD heard him.

We should not overlook that.

There was still joy in Jerusalem

Verse 26 tells us:

“So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem.”

Think about how much time had passed. Think about the generations who had come and gone. Yet now, under Hezekiah, the people were gathered again, remembering what the LORD had done.

The chapter closes by telling us that the priests and Levites blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to God's holy dwelling place, even unto heaven.

What a contrast to the laughter and mocking that had greeted the messengers!

What about our day?

I don't want to suggest that our day and Hezekiah's day are identical. Israel had a particular covenant relationship with the LORD, and we should be careful to recognize the setting of the passage.

But there is something here that should make us think.

How easily can people become removed from the Scriptures? How many generations can pass before something once familiar becomes unfamiliar?

And yet, we should remember the nevertheless in this chapter.

There were still people who humbled themselves. There were still people who responded. There were still people who wanted to seek the LORD.

Perhaps we spend too much time looking at those who laugh and mock, and not enough time recognizing those who are quietly carrying on.

We may not know how many there are. We may not hear about them. They may not be the loudest voices in the room. But they are there.

Hezekiah sent the invitation. Some rejected it, but others came.

That is something worth remembering when we look at our own time.

The question I leave with you is this: Are we so discouraged by those who have turned away that we overlook those who are still willing to hear?

Read 2 Chronicles 30 for yourself. Notice the response of the people, the prayer of Hezekiah, and the joy that followed.

There is much more in this chapter than I can cover here. Sometimes the best thing a passage can do is send us back to the Scriptures to search out the matter for ourselves.

Lew Wallace governor  of New Mexico territory offered Billy the Kid amnesty in 1879.

The deal was finalized during a secret meeting in March 1879, where the New Mexico Territorial Governor promised clemency amnesty if you will in exchange for the outlaw's testimony regarding the murder of attorney Huston Chapman. Although Billy the Kid held up his end of the bargain by testifying, the local district attorney refused to release him, leading to his escape and eventual death in 1881.

Jesus Christ is offering you amnesty according to 2 Corinthians 5:19 "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." We are in a grace period of time in Ephesians 2:28-9 says For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Christ as an atoning sacrifice Who gave of Himself willingly to die on a Roman cross for our justification before God to keep us from the wrath to come.  2 Corinthians 6:1-2  "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured (helped you) thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

Even though Billy's amnesty offer didn't turn out so well for him yours can mean eternal life in Jesus Christ. believe in Him Today for today is the day of salvation don't put it off because what If Tomorrow Never Comes?

The Bread, the Rock, and the Spiritual Things We Often Miss

 From the wilderness of Israel to the words of Christ

Sometimes we read Scripture and see only the physical events taking place. But throughout the Bible, God uses physical things to reveal spiritual truths.

Consider Israel in the wilderness.

In 1 Corinthians 10:1–4, Paul reminds us that Israel passed through the sea, was baptized unto Moses, ate spiritual meat, and drank spiritual drink.

Then Paul makes a remarkable statement:

"For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." (1 Corinthians 10:4, KJV)

The manna was real food. The water was real water. The Rock was part of Israel's wilderness experience. Yet Paul reveals a spiritual significance beyond what the physical eye could see.

The Bread from Heaven

Now turn to John 6.

After feeding the multitude with five loaves and two fishes, Jesus tells the people:

"Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life." (John 6:27)

The people had experienced a physical miracle, but Jesus wanted them to understand something greater.

He declares:

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven." (John 6:51)

The people struggled with His words. They were thinking physically: How could this man give us His flesh to eat?

But Jesus was directing their attention to Himself and the life He would give.

A Pattern in John's Gospel

We see this same difficulty in several conversations:

John 3: Nicodemus thinks of physical birth of Israel (Exodus 14) while Jesus speaks of spiritual birth of Israel (Jeremiah 31:31–34 , Isiah 66:8)

John 4: The woman at the well thinks of physical water, while Jesus speaks of living water.

John 6: The multitude thinks of physical bread, while Jesus speaks of the bread of life.

Jesus later explains:

"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63)

Learning to Listen

There is a lesson here for all of us.

We can become so focused on what we see and understand physically that we miss the spiritual truth being revealed.

Israel had manna, but the greater provision was Christ.

Israel drank water from the Rock, but Paul tells us that Rock was Christ.

The people in John 6 wanted another meal, but Jesus was offering something that would endure unto everlasting life.

Rightly Dividing the Word 2 Timothy 2:15

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (Orthotemeo} the word of truth.

We should also recognize the different audiences and purposes of these passages.

Jesus was speaking to Israel during His earthly ministry (Romans 15:8.) Paul was writing to believers in Corinth and using Israel's wilderness experience as an example and warning.

We should not confuse those settings, but neither should we overlook the connections Scripture itself gives us.

The physical events were real, and the spiritual lessons are real.

Perhaps one of the greatest lessons in Bible study is simply this:

Don't just look at what happened. Listen to what God is teaching through what happened.

2 Corintians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Ephesians 2:8 - 9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

BUT remember this warning 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succour thee (come to help you:) behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

JERUSALEM - 3D Timelapse

 

 

Having a Purpose Worth the Struggle

Have you ever wondered what makes a person willing to go through so much trouble to accomplish something?

I was reading 2 Corinthians the other morning and looking at a map of Corinth. Just north of the city is a narrow strip of land connecting the Peloponnese with mainland Greece. Today, the Corinth Canal cuts through that land, allowing ships to avoid the long and sometimes dangerous journey around the southern end of Greece.

But the canal wasn't built until the nineteenth century. In ancient times, the Greeks had another solution. They built a paved trackway across the isthmus and hauled ships overland to get them from one body of water to the other.

Think about that for a moment. Instead of sailing around the peninsula, they went to the trouble of moving ships across solid ground!

It makes you wonder what those workers must have thought as they struggled with the task before them. It certainly wasn't an easy way to get a ship from one place to another. But they had a purpose, and that purpose made the effort worthwhile.

What Makes the Struggle Worthwhile?

That thought led me to something else. We all face obstacles in life. Sometimes we have a goal we want to reach, a project we want to finish, or a dream we've been pursuing for years.

There are days when the work seems harder than we expected. Progress is slow, and we may wonder whether all the effort is worth it.

Perhaps the question isn't simply how difficult the road is. Perhaps we should ask ourselves why we're traveling it in the first place.

When we have a purpose worth pursuing, the struggle takes on a different meaning. We may still get tired, discouraged, or frustrated, but we have a reason to keep going.

And sometimes that purpose isn't about accomplishing something for ourselves. Sometimes it's about helping somebody else.

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

That brings to mind an old song by the Hollies, He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother.

The title says a lot in just a few words. The idea is that carrying someone else's burden doesn't have to be an unbearable task when love gives us a reason to help.

We all know people who are carrying heavy loads. Some are dealing with family problems, some are facing financial difficulties, and others are struggling with circumstances most of us know nothing about.

We may not be able to solve all their problems, but we can sometimes help them carry the load. A kind word, a little time, a helping hand, or simply being there when someone needs us can make a difference.

The important thing is remembering that the person matters more than the inconvenience.

What Does the Bible Say?

Paul gives us a wonderful reminder in Galatians 6:2:

“Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” (KJV)

Notice that Paul doesn't tell us to ignore the burdens of others because we have enough problems of our own. He tells us to help carry them.

Interestingly, just three verses later, Galatians 6:5 says:

“For every man shall bear his own burden.”

These statements aren't contradictory. We each have responsibilities we must accept, but there are also times when another person's load becomes too heavy to carry alone. That's when we have an opportunity to help.

Christianity isn't just about what we believe. It also affects how we treat the people around us.

We cannot carry every burden in the world, and we aren't expected to take responsibility for everything everyone else does. But when we see someone who needs help, we should consider whether we can do something to lighten the load.

A Purpose Worth Pursuing

The ancient Greeks found ways to move ships across land because the destination mattered enough to justify the work.

We face different challenges today, but the principle still applies. Whether we're working toward a personal goal, caring for our families, serving others, or trying to accomplish something that matters to us, we need to remember why we started.

And sometimes the greatest accomplishment isn't reaching our own destination. It's helping somebody else make it through theirs.

So the next time the road seems long and the load feels heavy, take a moment to consider your purpose.

Is it worth the struggle?

And if someone else is struggling beside you, perhaps the better question is this:

Can I help make their journey a little easier?

After all, some things are worth carrying, not because they are light, but because the person we're carrying them for matters.

Acts 16:30-31 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

 

Salvation is of The Jews?

 

 

From Believing to Living: Putting God's Word into Practice

Believing Is the Beginning

The foundation of the Christian faith is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.

This is not simply a philosophy or a set of principles for improving our lives. It is the good news of what Christ has done for us.

We are saved by God's grace through faith, not by our works (Ephesians 2:8–9). But does our learning stop when we believe the gospel? What happens after we have believed?

God's Word has much to say about how we think, how we respond to circumstances, and how we live.

Let's look at Philippians 4:6–9.

1. Bring Our Concerns to God — Philippians 4:6

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

We may know this verse by heart, but knowing the words and putting them into practice are two different things.

When trouble comes, our first response may be worry. Paul directs us instead to prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving.

We are not promised that every situation will turn out the way we want. We are instructed to bring our concerns to God.

The question is not simply whether we know what the verse says, but whether we remember its instruction when we need it.

2. Trust God's Provision of Peace — Philippians 4:7

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Paul follows his instruction about prayer with a statement about the peace of God.

Notice that he speaks of our hearts and minds. God's peace is not dependent upon our understanding every circumstance or knowing how everything will turn out.

We can believe that God hears us and still struggle with worry. But as we learn to take His Word seriously, we have a truth to return to when our thoughts begin to trouble us.

The more familiar we become with what God has said, the more readily we can bring His truth to mind when we need it.

3. Give Attention to What Is Right — Philippians 4:8

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

What occupies our minds matters.

We can spend our time dwelling on disappointment, fear, and things we cannot change. Paul reminds us to direct our thoughts toward things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and worthy of praise.

This does not mean pretending that difficulties do not exist. It means learning to consider them in the light of what is true rather than allowing our thoughts to be governed by fear or discouragement.

We may know these words intellectually, but the challenge is to remember them when our minds are occupied with other things.

4. Put What We Have Learned into Practice — Philippians 4:9

"Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."

Here Paul brings his instruction to a practical conclusion.

He speaks of things the believers had learned, received, heard, and seen in his example. Then he gives them a direct instruction: "do not for salvation of course, but  for your grounding of your faith in Christ.

It is possible to accumulate Bible knowledge without allowing it to influence our conduct. We can know what a passage says without considering how its truth should affect our decisions.

Learning God's Word involves more than remembering the words. We need to understand what He has said and recognize how that truth applies to our lives.

Then comes the opportunity to put it into practice.

From Knowing to Doing

Consider the progression in these verses:

• Verse 6: We learn to bring our concerns to God in prayer.

• Verse 7: We look to the peace of God to keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

• Verse 8: We give attention to things that are worthy of our thoughts.

• Verse 9: We practice what we have learned and received.

These verses remind us that learning and living are connected.

This does not mean we earn God's favor through our behavior. Our salvation rests upon what Christ has done, not upon our ability to live perfectly. Rather, we are learning to live in light of Him whom we have believed.

Keep Learning, Keep Growing

There is a difference between knowing what the Bible says and allowing its truth to guide our thinking and conduct.

We should continue to study God's Word, examine what we believe, and be willing to correct our understanding when the Scriptures show us that we are mistaken.

And there is value in sharing what we have learned. Explaining a passage to someone else often makes us examine it more carefully and recognize what we understand and what we still need to study.

The goal is not merely to know more Bible verses or to become better at explaining them. It is to understand God's Word and live in accordance with what He has revealed.

We cannot earn salvation by our works, but the truth we believe should matter in the way we live.

The question is not only, "What have I learned from God's Word?" It is also, "What am I doing with what I have learned?"

If you want to know what God says read the Bible. If you want to hear what God says read the Bible out loud.

You only get two educations the one you're given and the one you give yourself. 

Smartest Way to Study My Bible

 

 

Confess Your Faults One to Another

James 5:16 says:

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

I've always found the wording of this verse interesting, particularly the word “faults.”

Some newer translations use the word “sins” here. I understand why they do that, because the Greek word can refer to wrongdoing or transgression. But “faults” makes me think about something broader than simply confessing sins.

We all have weaknesses.

There may be things about ourselves that we struggle with but wouldn't necessarily call sinful. Perhaps we're easily discouraged, have difficulty speaking in front of people, struggle with anger, have trouble asking for help, or simply have an area of life where we know we need encouragement.

James says to “confess your faults one to another.”

Notice that he doesn't say to announce everything to everybody.

There is a difference between honest admission to a trustworthy person and putting your private life on public display.

If I stood up in front of a group and announced every sin and failure I've ever committed, I'm not sure I would come away feeling “healed.” I might come away looking for a new church! 😊

But telling a trustworthy brother or sister, “This is something I struggle with; pray for me,” is a different matter.

The purpose James gives is important:

“and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.”

The goal isn't embarrassment.
The goal isn't condemnation.
The goal isn't giving people something to gossip about.

The goal is prayer and restoration.

This reminds me of Galatians 6:2:

“Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”

Sometimes simply admitting that we have a burden allows someone else to help us carry it.

I also think there is something freeing about realizing that we don't have to pretend to be strong all the time. Being honest about a weakness doesn't necessarily mean that we have failed God. Sometimes it simply means that we're human and need some help.

Of course, we should be wise about whom we trust with personal matters. Not everybody needs to know everything about us. James says “one to another,” and that suggests a relationship where there is enough trust to pray for one another rather than judge one another.

Perhaps that's one reason I appreciate the KJV wording here.

“Confess your faults one to another.”

Not everything needs to be shouted from the housetop.

Sometimes it just needs to be shared quietly with someone you trust, followed by a simple request:

“Pray for me.”

And perhaps that is where healing begins.

 

The Word of God Endureth For Ever

There is a simple truth found throughout Scripture that is easy to overlook: God's Word does not change, fade away, or pass away.

Peter writes:

“The word of the Lord endureth for ever.”
— 1 Peter 1:25, KJV

Peter was quoting from Isaiah:

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
— Isaiah 40:8, KJV

What a contrast. Grass withers. Flowers fade. Things we see around us are temporary. But God's Word stands for ever.

The Psalmist expressed the same truth:

“For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.”
— Psalm 119:89, KJV

And again:

“Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.”
— Psalm 119:160, KJV

Then we come to the words of the Lord Jesus Christ:

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
— Matthew 24:35, KJV

Peter had just said:

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
— 1 Peter 1:23, KJV

Notice the words Peter uses: incorruptible, liveth, abideth, endureth.

The world around us changes. People change. Circumstances change. But the Word of God remains.

From Isaiah to the Psalms, from the words of Christ to Peter's epistle, we find the same testimony:

“The word of the Lord endureth for ever.”

That is something we can stand on.

Not By Works Of Righteousness Which We Have Done! Titus 3:5

 

Medley: Only Jesus And Calvary's Love

 

Letting Scripture Connect the Dots

One of the interesting things about reading the Bible straight through is discovering how often the New Testament reaches back into the Old Testament.

Sometimes you read an Old Testament story and think, “I wonder if there is more to this than what I'm seeing?”

That can be a good question.

But there is also a danger.

We can see a detail in an Old Testament story and decide what we think it represents. Before long, we can have an interpretation that sounds good but isn't actually supported by Scripture.

Paul gives us an important example.

In Galatians 4, Paul uses the story of Sarah and Hagar to explain the difference between the two covenants. He says:

“Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants...”
— Galatians 4:24

Paul was inspired by God when he made that connection. We aren't.

That doesn't mean we shouldn't look for connections. It means we should be careful about who is doing the connecting.

Look for the Bible's breadcrumbs

Take Balaam.

If we only read Numbers 22–24, we might wonder why Balaam's later reputation is so bad. He couldn't curse Israel. In fact, he blessed them.

Then later Scripture begins filling in the missing pieces.

Jude says Balaam ran greedily after error “for reward.”

Peter says he “loved the wages of unrighteousness.”

Revelation refers to “the doctrine of Balaam.”

And Numbers 31 tells us that Balaam's counsel was involved in Israel's sin at Peor.

Now we have something more than our own theory.

Scripture has connected the dots for us.

The prophets were looking forward

Peter gives us another important clue when he writes about the prophets:

“Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify...”
— 1 Peter 1:11

The prophets were writing under the inspiration of the Spirit, yet they were also searching to understand what God was revealing through them.

Then the New Testament comes along and gives us information that helps us understand what they were looking toward.

Paul does the same thing with things written “aforetime.”

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning...”
— Romans 15:4

And then he tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:11:

“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition...”

There is a pattern here.

We read the history.

We notice what happened.

We may have questions.

Then we look to see whether Jesus, Peter, Paul, Jude, or another inspired writer gives us more information.

If they do, we have a biblical connection.

If they don't, perhaps the safest thing to say is simply:

The passage says what it says.

A question is not a doctrine

I've been reminded of something while reading through the Old Testament.

There is nothing wrong with saying:

“Could this be connected to something later?”

The problem comes when we change “could” into “is” without Scripture giving us the evidence.

A Bible study doesn't have to answer every question immediately.

Sometimes the best note in the margin is simply:

“Check this later.”

Then keep reading.

You might find the answer in the next chapter—or you might find it in something Paul wrote years later.

And if you don't find it?

That's okay too.

We don't have to make Scripture say something just because we think it ought to say it.

The safest path is to let Scripture interpret Scripture.

Look for the breadcrumbs—but let God put them there.

 

Who Fixed the Roof?

Have you ever stopped to think about something the Bible doesn't tell us?

In Mark 2, four men brought their friend to Jesus because he was paralyzed. When they couldn't get through the crowd, they went up onto the roof, opened it up, and lowered their friend down in front of Jesus.

Jesus healed him.

But there is one little detail Mark doesn't tell us:

Who fixed the roof?

Somebody had a hole to repair when it was all over. 😂

Now, Scripture doesn't say who owned the house, and it certainly doesn't say who repaired the roof. So this is just a thought—not something we should turn into Bible doctrine.

But there is something interesting about it.

Jesus was a carpenter.

Mark 6:3 calls Him “the carpenter.”

So here's the thought that crossed my mind:

What if Jesus Himself fixed the roof?

Not by a miracle.

Not by simply speaking and making the damage disappear.

But with His own hands.

The same hands that healed a man's body were hands that had spent years doing ordinary carpenter's work.

Maybe He repaired that roof.

Maybe someone else did.

We don't know.

But I kind of like the thought that after doing the miraculous work of healing that man, Jesus could have gone right back to doing something completely ordinary—picking up His tools and fixing a roof.

Sometimes we get so focused on the miracles that we forget that Jesus also lived among people in the ordinary things of life.

He was the Son of God—and He was a carpenter.

And somewhere in Capernaum, there may have been one very interesting roof repair story that never made it into the Gospel record.

Jesus and Me

 

 

Letting Scripture Connect the Dots

One of the interesting things about reading the Bible straight through is discovering how often the New Testament reaches back into the Old Testament.

Sometimes you read an Old Testament story and think, “I wonder if there is more to this than what I'm seeing?”

That can be a good question.

But there is also a danger.

We can see a detail in an Old Testament story and decide what we think it represents. Before long, we can have an interpretation that sounds good but isn't actually supported by Scripture.

Paul gives us an important example.

In Galatians 4, Paul uses the story of Sarah and Hagar to explain the difference between the two covenants. He says:

“Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants...”
— Galatians 4:24

Paul was inspired by God when he made that connection. We aren't.

That doesn't mean we shouldn't look for connections. It means we should be careful about who is doing the connecting.

Look for the Bible's breadcrumbs

Take Balaam.

If we only read Numbers 22–24, we might wonder why Balaam's later reputation is so bad. He couldn't curse Israel. In fact, he blessed them.

Then later Scripture begins filling in the missing pieces.

Jude says Balaam ran greedily after error “for reward.”

Peter says he “loved the wages of unrighteousness.”

Revelation refers to “the doctrine of Balaam.”

And Numbers 31 tells us that Balaam's counsel was involved in Israel's sin at Peor.

Now we have something more than our own theory.

Scripture has connected the dots for us.

The prophets were looking forward

Peter gives us another important clue when he writes about the prophets:

“Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify...”
— 1 Peter 1:11

The prophets were writing under the inspiration of the Spirit, yet they were also searching to understand what God was revealing through them.

Then the New Testament comes along and gives us information that helps us understand what they were looking toward.

Paul does the same thing with things written “aforetime.”

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning...”
— Romans 15:4

And then he tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:11:

“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition...”

There is a pattern here.

We read the history.

We notice what happened.

We may have questions.

Then we look to see whether Jesus, Peter, Paul, Jude, or another inspired writer gives us more information.

If they do, we have a biblical connection.

If they don't, perhaps the safest thing to say is simply:

The passage says what it says.

A question is not a doctrine

I've been reminded of something while reading through the Old Testament.

There is nothing wrong with saying:

“Could this be connected to something later?”

The problem comes when we change “could” into “is” without Scripture giving us the evidence.

A Bible study doesn't have to answer every question immediately.

Sometimes the best note in the margin is simply:

“Check this later.”

Then keep reading.

You might find the answer in the next chapter—or you might find it in something Paul wrote years later.

And if you don't find it?

That's okay too.

We don't have to make Scripture say something just because we think it ought to say it.

The safest path is to let Scripture interpret Scripture.

Look for the breadcrumbs—but let God put them there.

Religion Isn't Working - Joseph Habedank

 

 

Before Darwin: The Ideas That Prepared the Way

In the first article of this series, we looked at Charles Darwin—the man whose ideas helped change the way generations of people thought about life, origins, and the Creator.

But there is a question worth asking:

Where did the intellectual climate that made Darwin's ideas so influential come from?

Darwin did not suddenly appear in a vacuum.

Ideas rarely do.

They travel from one generation to another. One man raises a question, another develops it, and someone else eventually carries it into an entirely different field. Sometimes the later idea resembles the original. Sometimes it goes much farther than the original writer intended.

That is one reason history matters.

Darwin Was Not the Beginning

It is tempting to tell the story as though everything began with Darwin.

But the question of how life and the world could be explained without God was already being discussed long before Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859.

There had been philosophers who attempted to explain the universe through natural causes rather than beginning with the Creator revealed in Scripture.

There were also changing ideas about geology, the age of the earth, human history, and the development of living things.

Darwin entered that conversation and gave one of the most influential explanations for biological development.

But the soil had already been prepared.

The Shift From “Who Created?” to “How Did It Happen?”

There is an important difference between asking a scientific question and adopting a worldview.

Science can investigate how something happens.

But the question “Why is there something rather than nothing?” reaches beyond laboratory observation.

The Bible begins at the starting point:

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
— Genesis 1:1 KJV

That statement establishes the foundation.

God is not presented as a possible explanation among many explanations.

He is the Creator.

Once that foundation is removed, however, man is left looking for another starting point.

And that is where naturalism becomes so important.

Naturalism Needs a History Too

Naturalism did not simply appear when Darwin published his book.

The basic idea—that nature should be explained by natural causes without appealing to God—had a long intellectual history.

Darwin's theory gave that worldview a powerful biological mechanism.

Instead of simply asking how individual creatures had been designed, people could now ask whether the appearance of design could be explained through natural selection.

That was a tremendous shift.

The argument was no longer merely:

“Maybe God isn't necessary to explain this particular thing.”

It increasingly became:

“Perhaps nature can explain life itself.”

That is a much larger claim.

And once that claim enters the discussion, the consequences reach beyond biology.

Ideas Have Consequences

This is where David Breese's warning about men who “rule the world from the grave” becomes interesting.

A man's influence doesn't necessarily end when he dies.

His books remain.

His ideas are taught.

His students teach their students.

Eventually, people may accept an idea without ever knowing who first popularized it.

That is how an idea can become part of a culture.

People may not know the history behind the belief. They simply assume it is the way intelligent people think.

But Scripture tells us to examine what we are being taught.

Paul warned the believers at Colosse:

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”
— Colossians 2:8 KJV

Notice that Paul did not tell believers to stop thinking.

He warned them to be careful what kind of thinking controls them.

That distinction is important.

Following the Trail

This is why looking at the men and ideas that influenced modern thought can be useful.

We aren't trying to blame every modern problem on one person.

We aren't saying that every person who accepts evolution has consciously rejected God.

And we certainly shouldn't accuse historical figures of things they never actually taught.

Instead, we can ask a more useful question:

What happened to the idea after it left the hands of the man who first proposed it?

That question can reveal a great deal.

Darwin's work concerned biological development.

But the worldview built around naturalism eventually affected discussions about education, morality, psychology, sociology, and man's understanding of himself.

The idea traveled.

The Bigger Question

Ultimately, the issue isn't merely Darwin.

It is the foundation upon which we build our understanding of reality.

Do we begin with:

“In the beginning God created…”

or do we begin with:

“Nature is all there is…”?

Those two starting points lead in very different directions.

One begins with a Creator.

The other must eventually attempt to explain the Creator away.

And that is why the story didn't end with Darwin.

The ideas kept traveling.

In the next article, we'll follow that trail a little farther and look at another thinker whose ideas helped shape the intellectual world in which modern man lives.

---

You May Also Like

The Man Who Tried to Explain Life Without the Creator

Charles Darwin's ideas changed far more than biology. They helped introduce a way of thinking about origins and life that continues to influence the world today.