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If modernists re-wrote the Bible, how big would it be?
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SERIES—Conclusion
If modernists rewrote the Bible, what would it say, and how big would it be?
As mentioned in
part 1
of this series, some "modern renditions" have—for all intents and purposes—been reduced
to a single, short sentence that reads:
"Be a good person." As you can see, no need to even be religious in this "bible."
Also mentioned previously was that denominational Christians often use a "bible"
that has essentially whittled the original "10 commandments" down to between 5 and 7,
depending on the individual.
Even though these manmade "bibles" exist only in the minds and imaginations of men, they are very real indeed.
Millions of
modern Christians in fact live by them "religiously," and are convinced God will actually judge them based on these rewritten mental "bibles."
But what does the real Bible have to say about all this?
What does the real Bible have to say about these new modern "Renditions?"
I have a puzzling question:
If the Bible has become the "shrunken bible" in the minds of many, why did the original Bible have to be so large in the first place?
You'd think since God knows everything, He would have realized what modern Christian people seem to know: that most of the real
Bible can be ignored—or replaced with whatever they choose.
Of course, the reason the Bible was so "big" will become more apparent when we read what it actually says about itself.
What the Bible actually says...
The truth is: Never at any time—during any age past or present—has God allowed His word to be modified, either by ignoring it or arriving
at different interpretations that change its obvious original and intended meaning.
God has repeatedly warned against even the slightest modification to His commands and teachings. He has always expected them to be kept
"exactly as delivered." None of them should be minimized or underemphasized or written off as "optional" or "unnecessary for our salvation."
In fact, the Bible is clear that the only people who will be saved in the end are those who "do the will of God."
Consider the following montage of verses, taken from both the Old and New Testaments:
Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the
land that the LORD...is giving you. Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD...
(Deuteronomy 4:1-2)
[Jesus said] Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
(Matthew 4:4)
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching
them to obey everything I have commanded you.
(Matthew 28:19-20)
Now, brothers, I have applied these things...for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, 'Do not go beyond what
is written.'
(1 Corinthians 4:6)
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every good work.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
(2 Timothy 2:15)
He [Paul] writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand,
which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
(2 Peter 3:16)
Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord'—and do not do what I say?
(Luke 6:46)
Finally, consider almost the last words of the Bible:
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in
this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy
city, which are described in this book.
(Revelation 22:18-19)
Change your lifestyle to suit God's commands—not the other way around
Christ has always instructed us to change our lifestyles to suit God's commands—not change God's commands to suit our lifestyles;
and then, in essence, "mentally rewrite" the Bible accordingly, as though that would matter to God.
Never forget that only people who do the actual will of God will be saved. As Jesus indicated, those who do not do the will of God, even if they still
choose to call Jesus their Lord, will be gravely disappointed. And Jesus said that many will fall into this category on the Day of Judgment.
Please listen again closely to His words:
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven.
MANY will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not [do many things for your cause]?'
Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you; Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'
(Matthew 7:21-23)
The bottom line is this: Regardless of what people today may believe, in the final great day of Judgment every person will still be judged by the
standard of His original commands. Again, Jesus plainly said:
...that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.
(John 12:48)
If all you ever "read" is a re-written "bible"—how will you ever know the danger of doing so?
This, of course, is one of the inherent dangers of using a mentally re-created bible that matches what we think God should judge us by.
For, if that's all you ever read, and you no longer take the actual Bible seriously, how will you ever know the truths stated in the previous
section?
Remember what Jesus said (see above quotation from Matthew 7:21-23): "MANY will say to Me on that day,
'Lord, Lord, did we not [do many things for your cause]?'
Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you; Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'
Such extremely disappointed Christians never bothered to get to know the real Jesus, did they? Paul wrote:
...the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in flaming fire with his powerful angels.
He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
They will be repaid with everlasting destruction, and will be removed far from the presence of the Lord and from the magnificence of his
power—on the day He comes to be glorified by his holy people, and marveled at among all those who have believed.
(2 Thessalonians 1:7-10)
So, please be sure you get to know your Creator intimately—from the actual Bible He wrote.
Otherwise, you may find yourself among the MANY
"believers in Christ" Jesus said would be eternally condemned on the day of judgment.
The best advice about these new "bibles"
I guess reading all the above references from the "real Bible" helps explain why it was so large in the first place: simply because that is God's
complete will for us live by.
So, the best advice I can think to give on these new "bibles" is simply: ignore them all.
Return to the original, actual teachings from God's Holy Spirit, and commit to obey every command and teaching of the Bible.
I've yet to find an unreasonable request.
Willfully ignoring God's commands will be
spiritually fatal—in spite of the modern false teachings to the contrary.
We must sincerely strive to obey all of God's will (again, see Matthew 7:21).
And when we fail, we must sincerely ask forgiveness and sincerely strive to change.
Persistent sin will not be forgiven unless the repentance is sincere.
But when sin is overcome through the power and grace of Christ, we will indeed have a true hope of eternal life.
The solution for the modern Christian world
Israel, God's people—who had the right God, religion, and Bible—were on the brink of destruction at the hand of God Himself.
Yes, the very God they believed in was about to destroy them—and eventually did.
But God told them the solution to their salvation, if only they had obeyed it! He said:
This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'
I appointed watchmen over you and said, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But you said, 'We will not listen.'
Therefore hear, O nations; observe, O witnesses, what will happen to them.
Hear, O earth: I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their schemes, because they have not listened to my words and
have rejected my law."
(Jeremiah 6:16-19)
This same advice is our solution today. We must RETURN to the atual, original words of God as found in the true Bible. And we must
commit to obeying everything that we read.
Israel did not listen, and suffered a tremendous destruction.
Sadly, many Christians today will follow their tragic path. Once again, Jesus said:
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven.
MANY will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not [do many things for your cause]?'
Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you; Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'
(Matthew 7:21-23)
Are you listening?
BACK TO PART 1
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