Standing for something

Surely we can see the handwriting on the wall. The time of the end is drawing near. Our world has embraced a degraded morality and a barren spirituality, fusing passions of the flesh with pleasures of fantasy. The Church of God must, in these final hours, take a final stand against the influx of evil.

From the three hundred Spartans at Thermopylae to Davy Crockett at the Alamo to the battle at Little Bighorn and Custer’s last stand; the idea of a few against an overwhelming foe excites a fighting spirit within most and stirs up a winning attitude that can take on the world. And take on the world we must. For the world, and the God of it, is longing to rip apart everything we believe in to enter in and take over our territory. If we don’t take a stand now, our opportunities to “save the lost”, “do the great commission”, “finish the work” will be gone.

As the popular saying goes “We must stand for something otherwise we will fall for anything.”  What are we, as the church of Jesus Christ, to stand for? In this new series of posts called “standing for something” I hope to highlight key beliefs that we are to stand for no matter the cost.

In this first post of several to come, I suggest one such stand which may seem obvious; the Bible. The Bible IS the Word of God! As such, the Bible is to be our rule, the one and only standard, for faith and practice. Everything that we believe and participate in ought to be grounded in the Word of God.

“The grass withers, the flower fades; nothing lasts except the word of our God. It will stand forever. “ Isaiah 40:8 The Voice (VOICE)

The Bible has been under attack from the beginning of its existence; yet it remains on various top sellers lists, such as the New York Times, and is one of the most revered and requested books around the globe. Renaissance authors and philosophers such as Voltaire and Gibbons spoke to the annihilation of the Bible (Wikipedia). Modern archeologists and historians are trying to discover “new” parchments and/or books which they claim debunk some or even add to the stories of the Bible. While these attacks are increasing and seemingly severe, the Bible has remained. What is it about the Bible that draws constant condemnation from its critics and constant commendation from its preachers? I suggest that those who condemn the Bible denounce it as a book, while we who lift up the Bible attribute it as so much more.

“All of Scripture is God-breathed; in its inspired voice, we hear useful teaching, rebuke, correction, instruction, and training for a life that is right” 2 Timothy 3:16 The Voice (VOICE)

We must remember that the scriptures are the verbal inspiration of the Holy Spirit and that what is written is the voice of the Lord; it is the Logos (written word) and the Rhema (spoken word) [Logos and Rhema are Greek terms for the Word of God]. The Logos is liken to the personality of the Bible, giving characters to its stories and illustrations to its message. The Rhema is the charisma of the Bible, giving life and depth to the Logos. Rhema has two key parts, the active and the participatory. Active in Greek can be translated as energos, which hints to energy. The Rhema Word gives energy or power to the reader. As one reads the Bible, the Spirit of God actively speaks through the Words supplying this power to our inner spirit. Participatory is translated symmetécho̱. In the Greek, this word conveys the concept of symmetry and sharing. The Holy Spirit, in this way, shares our load while working with us, revealing His mind and direction. The Bible is more than just mere words on a page, it is something worth fighting for.

The word of God, you see, is alive and moving; sharper than a double-edged sword; piercing the divide between soul and spirit, joints and marrow; able to judge the thoughts and will of the heart.  Hebrews 4:5 The Voice (VOICE)

The Bible has the unique ability to go beyond the outer shell and see the real you. It is esteemed as the hallowed arbiter of what is right and what is just. It holds the distinctive of having a sacred and divine existence being called the Holy Scriptures. It is the living, tangible foundation upon which the Church is built and without which the Church would fall. It is the author and architect of a global faith that extends past man’s endeavors and creeds. Its transforming power is a marvel to behold and its lasting worth is a supernatural wonder.

If we are going to stand for something, let us stand for the Word of God.