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Pine Baron
09-01-2022, 07:19 AM
Good morning all. A great reminder of keeping it simple and thusly clear. Have a safe and blessed day.

The Right Path to Follow
by Greg Laurie on Sep 1, 2022

The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight for living.
—Psalm 19:8

You will sometimes come across Scripture passages that you don’t fully understand. In such cases, talking to a pastor or a mature Christian can probably help you. But what about those times when you encounter a verse in the Bible that you don’t agree with? In such cases, you have to change your opinion. We don’t adapt the Bible to the way we think because the Bible is always right, and we aren’t.

Sometimes, people make statements such as “My God would never judge a person” or “I believe in a God who . . .” and start describing their own made-up god. However, there is only one God, and He is revealed in the Bible. We don’t make God conform to us; we make ourselves conform to God.

Psalm 19:7 says, “The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple” (NLT). In the original language, the word translated into “simple” comes from a word meaning “an open door.” This describes people with a mind like that. Everything comes in and goes out. They don’t know what to take in or what to keep out and are thus naïve. They are open to everything and closed to nothing. However, the Bible says that when simple-minded people, who are too open-minded, immerse themselves in Scripture, they can become biblically grounded and develop a biblical worldview.

The next verse tells us, “The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living” (verse 8 NLT).

The Bible has set up the right path for us to follow. We don’t have to lose our bearings in the fog of human opinion. As we read the Scriptures, we can know they’re reliable.

God’s Word gives us incredible wisdom, so let’s devote ourselves to its study.

dverna
09-01-2022, 07:29 AM
This may be true, but it does not mesh with reality. We have over 1000 Christian sects. Why is that?

The question would be "Which one is right?". If it is so obvious, why do scholars not agree on everything?

I agree that in general terms we can trust the Bible. But sometimes it is neither clear or definitive on nuances. I am likely wrong, but that is what I see.

Wayne Smith
09-01-2022, 08:11 AM
Scholars generally agree on the basics, Don. If you look at the Apostle's Creed, very few if any Christians will not agree with that. Much of the time 'disagreement' is simply looking from another perspective. I have the book and will soon be reading Ben Witherington III The Acts Of The Apostles; a socio-rhetorical commentary and expect to learn a lot from it. I have read enough of his stuff that I know he agrees with the Apostle's Creed.

However, not everyone who writes a commentary is a Christian.

USMC87
09-01-2022, 09:41 AM
Amen, God has given me sight to see Him in scripture and in my daily life.