Why Is Respecting God's Word So Important? - 39
Because the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit equip us for life.
Once you get to the bottom of authorial intention, you have God’s Word. This is where application and obedience is required. If God has said “jump,” you should simply ask “how high?”
Paul wrote to young Timothy, the Evangelist. Timothy was tasked with setting churches in proper order. He would teach and assist in establishing church officers. Timothy served as a go-between of the Apostles and Prophets to the various church congregations.
In one of two letters to Timothy, Paul wrote, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”1
I was playing catch with my oldest daughter the other day, with gloves and a softball. She is thirty-something. We talked about the various issues and challenges of life. The conversation traversed down various paths including: phobias, prescription drugs, medicine, science, religion, DNA, philosophy, psychology and relationships. It is pretty typical for the two of us to “run around in the woods” of conversation that way. What is not typical is to play catch; she happily just purchased a glove for such occasions.
In any case, I told her that my absolute rule, that I will never give up for finding perfect peace is this: God’s Spirit and God’s Word is all I need to be complete before Him. Plus nothing. My forgiveness, along with all ethical behavior, choices, burdens, confidences, insufficiencies, etc. are going to be met by Him and His Word. His Word (Scripture) and Power (Holy Spirit) are sufficient for me. If they are not sufficient then I am in trouble.
Furthermore, God intends good things for me if I obey His Word (some might call those good things “human flourishing”). Alternatively, I can expect troubles to grow up like weeds in my earthly garden if I disobey His Word. This is the regular teaching of Scripture.2
Granted, human flourishing might be the blessings of God produced in me by suffering and persecution. And, it could be, that the material blessings of God get corrupted by my own greed and pride. Nonetheless, both visible and invisible blessings and curses are a biblical reality and a consequence of how God deals with His creatures.3
You and I might not be able to interpret accurately how God is dealing with our behavior, but this does not mean that visible blessings and curses can never be counted. Certainly, the LORD wanted the Israelites to consider the signs both of his blessings and curses as consequences for their behavior.
Moses said, “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God.Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out…But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field. Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.” [Deuteronomy 28:1-5; 15-19]
All of this to say, “Respecting God’s Word is paramount.” Nothing can get in the way of what He has said through His human authors. And proper respect requires the Holy Spirit’s work in us to understand and obey His Word.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
See Deuteronomy 28
We are not to think like Gnostics. Gnosticism was declared heretical by orthodox Christianity around the 2nd century. They held that matter was evil and only the spiritual was good. This is in contrast to Christianity’s view that the creation was made good and is good yet broken. Sometimes Christians fall into a gnostic mentality when they refuse to consider God’s creational blessings upon obedience and creational curses for disobedience.