We have a few books in our personal library that have Bible stories in them. I remember reading some of them, and considering how the purpose of some of the stories has been twisted from the original intent. For example, stories about Noah and the Ark have been turned in to a cute tale about a man collecting animals, but what is the story really about? It’s about the earth being filled with wickedness, and God lamenting that He made man at all, and the faithful few following His direction so that a remnant can be saved. It’s really the story of God and man as told throughout all of scripture. It’s not about the boat, or the animals, but that God hates sin, how He cannot abide with it, and that all men are called to repent or perish. The history of David and Goliath isn’t about faith to slay a giant, but about a boy who was so zealous for God that this giant’s taunts about the living God so offended him, he could not sit by as the king and men Israel did day by day, and how by the power of God, David, the only faithful man in the army stood in faith and prevailed against an impossible foe.
Kids need sound doctrine. Teenagers need sound doctrine. Adults need sound doctrine. We need to understand that the whole of Scripture is about the failure and rebellion of humanity, and God’s seeking to rescue them from sin and death, and that it is through Christ, and Christ alone that we are saved. We are baptized and born again because Jesus saved us from sin and death, we do good works because Jesus saved us from sin and death, and we are alive in Christ, now and in eternity because Jesus saved us from sin and death. All of Scripture points to this, and all of humanity needs to know this! The Bible is not a book of fairy tales, meant to teach us cautionary lessons about how to be good; it is the History of God and humanity, and the only path to eternity with Him. The Bible is essential for sound Doctrine, and, in its entirety, we can learn to stand firm and to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can live as Christ calls us to live.
Titus 1
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;
To Titus, my true child in a common faith,
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
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