Seeking God in All Scripture.

The following is an article that I wrote for the Renew Magazine which is part of the Bibles For Missions and the Bible League of Canada.


In October my wife and I, along with over one thousand other guests attended The Bible League of Canada’s Banquet of Praise. One of the highlights of that evening was to hear Dr. Joel Nederhood talk about the importance of the Word of God. He warned us not to be hypocritical in our approach to that Word. We often say that it important to place the Word of God in the hands of the peoples of the world while we ignore the Bible that is in our own home.

At the Ontario BFM Regional Meeting the director for the Bible League of Canada told us that the Bible League makes an effort to promote placing the whole Word of God.

If we are to have a Biblical worldview then we must begin at the beginning with creation and the fall of man and then we can trace the story of redemption from the Garden of Eden to the end of the Revelation. The Old Testament is vital to our understanding the story of redemption.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that the Gospel was preached to those in the past. (Hebrews 4:6). Jesus told the people in His day that the Scriptures spoke about Him.
This truth came very real to me as I recently lead a study on the Tabernacle. John tells us that the Son became flesh and dwelt (or tabernacled) amongst us.

Everything about the Tabernacle pointed to the Son. The materials (gold, silver, bronze and wood), the colours (blue, scarlet, white and purple), and the very structure all showed an aspect of our Saviour.

To enter the Tabernacle you had to go through the gate. Jesus said that He was the gate and no one could come to God except by Him. After you entered through the gate you came to the bronze altar where sin and trespass sacrifices were offered up to God. As we come to God we must come by the cross. Before anyone could go into the Holy place he had to stop at the laver for cleansing. Though we have been cleansed from our sins we still have to come daily for cleansing (1 John 1:9).

Then we come to another door or curtain. This door invites us in to dine with Him. On the one side we see the golden lamp stand reminding us that He is the light of the world and on the other side is the table of showbread reminding us that He is the Bread of Life. At the veil that separated the Holy place from the Most Holy place was the altar of incense that speaks to us of prayer.

Finally, we come to the veil which in the time of Moses said, “Keep out!” but today has been removed so that we can come with confidence into the very presence of God (Hebrews 4:16).

My study of the Old Testament has helped me see that all Scripture speaks of Jesus and is profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting and instructing in righteousness. If you have never read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation then why not begin right now. Ask God to open your eyes so that you can see Him and the story of redemption. Believe me, you will not be disappointed.

A Biblical Worldview

I read this morning that only 9% of born again Christians have a Christian worldview. That is correct, less than 1 in 10 of born again Christians. Why is it?
First there is an epidemic of Biblical illiteracy. In many churches there is no Biblical preaching or teaching but we cannot blame our leaders completely. They are only teaching or preaching what people want to hear. I know that some who call themselves born again have a humanistic point of view.
Do Christians really know what the Bible teaches regarding homosexuality, abortion, and other issues including missions, finances, family values, etc.
I have even heard that there are people who call themselves born again who believe in evolution. My question to them is what are they born again from? If we are evolutionists then there is not original sin so we don't need a Saviour but a therapist.
We need the Bible to be central in our churches. Biblical illiterates are not going to have a Biblical worldview.

The Word vs ...

Some people like to follow a charismatic leader but we must remember leaders die but the Word lives.
Some people think that experiences are important. If we have the experience then we will know the truth. However, experiences fade but the Word remains.
The Word of God must be central to our teaching and to our preaching.

Soul Liberty

At a previous church we attended in another city one of the favourite doctrines was soul liberty. Now I believe in soul liberty as it relates to disputable matters but there were some in the church who persisted that because of soul liberty they could reject portions of scripture because they saw them as fables, myths or just stories.
Now here is the danger, who decides what Scripture is true and what is just a story to teach us a moral lesson? If it is me then I put myself above Scripture and in the place of God. There is no liberty when it comes to the acceptance of the truth of Scripture. All Scripture is God breathed. There may be different interpretations of some difficult passages but it is not a "private interpretation". God has given us Scripture, the Holy Spirit and Biblical scholars who can help us. All Scripture is true.

The Second Coming

The false teaching that Peter deals with in his second letter seems to deal with the erroneous teaching around the second coming of Christ. Peter makes reference to Christ's glory which refers to his experience on the Mount of Transfiguration. Each of the Synoptic Gospels connects the Transfiguration to the second coming of Christ. (Matthew 16:29; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27). Today there is also much false teaching concerning the second coming. One thing we need to know for sure is that Christ is coming again for His church and we are to be ready and watching.

Consumerism and the Bible

Today you have what seems to be unlimited Bible editions and translations. I know I have many different Bibles including KJV, NKJV, LB, Message, NIV, NASB, RSV, ESV, and maybe a few more. That may be a problem but that is not the real problem. Companies are producing Bibles like other commodities, reaching out to specific groups as if the Bible is a self-help book. If we read the Bible as a self-help book then we fall into the consumer mentality however, if we read the Bible to understand God and then to understand ourselves we will always come away renewed in our spirits. The Bible may be a help and a comfort in a time of need but it is not about helps but about revelation. Remember who is God and who is not.

Not all paths lead to the summit

A friend gave me a clipping this morning from the religious page of the London, Ontario Free Press. It shows how mixed up we are when we reject the fact of absolute truth. I am sure the editor in his mind is sincere but not only is he misguided but he is leading others astray. Let me quote just one paragraph from his article: "It is as if we are all on the same mountain, just walking toward the summit from different sides. As long as people are growing in wisdom and love, I say thanks for being on the journey with me." I wonder where that journey will end?