I recently heard a believer say "You're too in to the Bible. You quote it way too much." This REALLY shocked me! I have no doubt this person believes in God, and even believes the Bible, but I had a hard time wrapping my head around it. I shouldn't be so shocked, though. It's something Christians are saying and doing all over social media, and in their personal lives. The Word of God is being neglected, and in some case outright rejected by those who profess to be believers in God. We're called to have the same mindset as Christ, but if we unhitch ourselves from His Word, this is impossible.
God will not contradict Himself. However, if we're willing to reject His Word, even in the name of sounding more acceptable to the world (we're not supposed to do that anyway), we reject Him, because He equates His word with His name. When we reject God's Word, we reject God Himself. Say that I give my children a task and every time their mother came to them to remind them of the task, they said "Don't quote dad to me, I know what he said. You're just trying to oppress me!" That would be outright disobedience, wouldn't it? Even if they were doing the task I gave them on their own time and in their own way, it would still be disobedience. Why, then, if I, an earthly and sinful father, would count something like this disobedience, but our Heavenly, Righteous and pure Father would not? The first temptation of Satan was to get Adam and Eve to doubt the word of God. If we abolish it in our minds all together, we make that temptation complete. Jesus, when combating Satan's temptations didn't quote a rabbi or priest, He quoted God's Word. Stay in God's word. Listen to every word it says! Stand Firm in the faith! Matthew 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”
Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
John 1:1 ESV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Hebrews 4:12 ESV For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
John 1:14 ESV And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Psalm 119:105 ESV Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
James 1:21 ESV Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
John 17:17 ESV Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 ESV And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV / 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 competent, equipped for every good work.
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