Myth-Buster Series: I can pick and choose what parts I want believe are true in the Bible.

A long time ago when I was in 3^rd grade, my mom made a decision that changed my families’ life. She went on a retreat where she decided to commit her life to following Jesus. As soon as she got home, things started to change. We were that family that only went on Christmas and Easter services, and any other Sunday when we didn’t sleep in, which were few. Gone were the Sundays of sleeping in and going bowling or rollerskating or whatever activity. Sundays became a time of getting up early and somewhat dressed up only to fall asleep while reciting the Lord’s Prayer in an uncomfortable church pew. Over time we became that family that served everywhere in the church, cutting the grass, lighting the candles before service, reading Scripture during service, bringing snacks for Sunday school -- we became that family.

At the time I knew God was important but I didn’t understand a whole lot, like who Jesus was or what David had to do with Jesus or God. I just knew God was to be respected and feared. Anyhow, my mom was asked to be a part of a search committee for the new priest. Our previous priest had left for reasons unknown to me at the time. My mom, along with the team, interviewed candidates and eventually hired our new priest, Mother Barbara.

Mother Barbara made herself at home in our church and in our community. It was big news, the first woman preacher in town. Things at church seemed to go on as normal and by this time I was in sixth grade and was part of the youth group. Because our church was small we didn’t have a youth pastor so our priest led our small group. Again things were alright until one day she gave us an assignment and asked us to answer this question: “If you were God what would you do differently?” For some reason that question didn’t sit well with me. I talked it over with my mom and told her I didn’t know how to answer the question because I thought God was perfect and if I answer that question than I’m saying He’s not. My told me to write just that, so I did. When we met for youth group the next time we where suppose to share our answers, so I did and my priest got mad at me. I explained how it made me uncomfortable but she wouldn’t drop it. So of course I told my mom. Boy did my mom get upset and unaware to me at the time she was starting to have concerns with Mother Barbara.  My mom had been talking to her about creationism…what you need to know is my mom is a very passionate person, especially when it comes to truth, that’s where I get it from. Anyhow, she asked the priest about the matter and to my mom’s shock, the priest told her she didn't believe everything in Bible literally, that she thought evolution could be possible, and other things. She then said this comment to my mom: “If I believed everything in the Bible to be literal, then I wouldn’t be a priest.” WOW. Aren’t priests supposed to be teaching truth, teaching what the Bible says?

That didn’t go over so well with my mom, and being a pursuer of truth and follower of Jesus, we left the church. That is one of the best decisions my mom has ever made, first deciding to follow Jesus no matter what, two leaving the church, and three getting me plugged into Campus Life (I’ll explain later).

Now I don’t tell you this story for no reason but as real life understanding of tonight’s myth: “I can pick and choose what I want to believe about the Bible as true and follow the parts I like.”  I have experienced this myth firsthand and seen the impact it can have.

This is really the underlying theme to all the myths we have talked about and will talk about. For example when Mark talked about the “gay Christian,” people were picking parts of Scripture to focus on and acted if the rest didn’t matter, like the verses in Genesis about marriage or Romans 1. We also talked about hell, how people who want to believe hell isn’t real, eternal or permanent put more attention on God’s Love and forget the rest of his attributes (characteristics), like how is God is just and holy. We need to properly handle the Word of God. And God warns of what happens when people don't handle His Word properly. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:14-19:

  

Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. ¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. ¹⁶ Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. ¹⁷ Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸ who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. ¹⁹ Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

Remember Mark on the first night established that science answers the "what" questions but not the "should," and Scripture answers those "should" questions. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and Hebrews 4:12, God makes it clear we need his word to discern truth.

Going back to 2 Timothy 2:14-19, it says we need to handle of the word of truth correctly and to avoid godless chatter because the more we engage in it the more ungodly we become. Paul gives an example of how this is happening, how two individuals have a misunderstanding of the resurrection because they departed from the truth and it’s causing others stumble.

In college I read a book as part of a team Bible study. In the book, the author questions the traditional understanding of doctrine, truths found in the Old and New Testament. (Side note: every church has a doctrinal statement of what they believe and use Scripture to back it up. Even Campus Life has one. You should really know what your church believes and why they teach it.) The traditional/conservative understanding of doctrine/core truths from the Bible is that it’s solid -- firm like a brick. It does not move, bend or flex.  The author I mentioned challenges idea and talks about doctrine being a spring part of a trampoline. He states, doctrines should be flexible, like a spring and if you remove one spring you can still jump on the trampoline. He tried to argue, that if you treat doctrine, like a brick, and when it is remove the foundation crumples and I would agree that’s true. When you start to take a part a solid foundation, it’s going crack and crumble, that’s what happened to basement this summer. However, the author then tries to argue the virgin birth could have not happened, or that he doesn't think creation was a literal six days, and implies you can still have saving faith. You only removed two springs, so you can keep on jumping. This is problematic thinking. Now, I’m not saying you have to have an understanding of everything about Jesus, like the virgin birth or how creation came to be, in order to be saved. But when you decide to believe and trust Jesus is who he says he his wholeheartedly, this means you believe what he says about who he is and everything else he speaks on.  So let's see say what Jesus has to say about it -- how firm his words really are. Matthew 7:24-27 says:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Granted, springs weren’t invented until the 1700s (coiled springs at least), but Jesus describes the man who hears his words and puts them into practice: they are standing on a what? A rock! As different things arise that could destroy the house, it stands firm on the foundation of rock that it has. It is the same with believers: Jesus warned us that life wasn’t going to be easy or pretty. In John 15:18-25, Jesus makes it very clear that world is going to hate us, and in Matthew 7, the verses just before, Jesus talks about his word being a rock-solid foundation. He warns about false teachers and the destruction they bring (also read 2 Peter 2). This should not come as a surprise -- since the very beginning Satan has tried to attack God’s word (read Genesis 3).

God’s word does not bend or flex to what the world thinks should be done, nor does it bend or flex to our emotions or desires. God’s word is firm. It does not change, just as he does not change, even if we wanted him to (Malachi 3:6 and Numbers 23:19-20). His word is also complete. God makes that very clear in Revelation 22:18-19 and Deuteronomy 4:2 and 12:13.

Revelation 22:18-19, ^"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. ¹⁹ And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll."

Deuteronomy 4:2, "Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you."

Deuteronomy 12:32, "See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it."

If God has made it so clear that His word is solid, does not change and is complete, then why do people pick and choose what they want to believe? Why did Eve enter a godless conversation with the serpent? We are living in a time where peoples' mottos are, “Do whatever makes you happy" or "follow your heart, it will never mislead you,” or a more recent one, “do what makes you happy because that makes God happy.” (Well first that’s not what God’s word says. Read Jeremiah 17:9 and then look up the cross references.) People don’t like being told they are wrong, being held accountable, or even idea of someone having authority over them because of our sin nature. However, this doesn’t give us the right to pick and choose what we want to believe is true. At the end of the day, God’s truth is still true no matter how hard we ignore it (Romans 1:18-32). Jesus addressed this issue in Mark 7:1-13. Verse 8 sums it up, “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” The Pharisees forgot what God actually commanded and put their own rules in place and then elevated them over God's words. 

The exact same thing is happening today and it’s dangerous.

It’s so important for us to have a proper understanding of how to handle God’s Word and really allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in all truth (John 16:13-15).