Many believe the Bible is completely inspired. Second Timothy 3:16 tells them, All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. Yet, some who claim belief in the Bible as completely inspired adopt a cafeteria-style approach to it in which they pick the parts they like and put them on their theological food trays, while rejecting other portions that fail to appeal to their taste.
Jehoiakim has this attitude. In Jeremiah 36:23, he listens to Jehudi read the Word of God, and upon hearing the prophecy of Babylonian captivity, took the scroll, cut it with his penknife and cast it into the fire. Jehoiakim wanted only some of God’s Word, instead of the sum of God’s Word.
Obedience is doing all that God says. Concerning teaching, Matthew writes that we are to teach all nations to observe all that He commanded (Matthew 28:20).
One of the most dangerous words in the English language is “partial”. After a big snowstorm, for instance, the news may report that streets have been partially cleared. Those few patches of snow and ice are still treacherous. In fact, the cleared spots can cause us to be too confident about our ability to navigate.
To partially obey God is to disobey Him. In 1 Samuel 15, we find that Saul has almost obeyed God. God had commanded that everything from the Amalekites be destroyed, but Saul spared the life of King Agag and some of the animals. Saul blamed his soldiers but the problem was Saul’s own pride. He had only partially obeyed God. God was displeased; He took the kingdom from Saul and gave it to David. |
Preachers today, too, must preach God’s whole counsel, not just the parts that may be popular in the current generation.
Second Timothy 4:2-4 commands: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.
A small church just getting started couldn’t afford a sign to go in front of their building. The furniture store in town got a new sign about that time and gave the church their old one. It even lit up at night! They painted over it and put it out front. After some years, though, the paint began to peel. It said, The church of Christ meets here. And where the paint had peeled off it read (underneath): Easy Terms. We must never make easier terms than Jesus gave! Jesus said, And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me" (Mark 10:21).
Sum is much better than some.
Isn’t it marvelous to understand that our treasure is worth more than we possess? Isn’t it remarkable that we have a text that is completely understandable and entirely truthful? May we all give the sum of our spirit to follow the sum of His Word!