The Editable Bible?


The Editable Bible?
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”
Romans 12:2
This is the call placed upon every Christian’s life, to be set apart from the culture around us. A culture that has not only turned its back on God, but has also taken up its morals and seems to be running faster with every passing day in the opposite direction. Our call is simple, but far from easy. Similarly to paddling a boat upstream, the moment we stop actively following Christ is the same moment we will be swept away by the never-ending lies and temptations. Only instead of a river leading to a waterfall is a culture leading to an eternity forever separated from God. Despite this clear call to be set apart, as I look around there appear to be fewer Christians “paddling upstream”.
I know friends and family are reading this so before I get labeled as the hypocrite that I sometimes am, an important distinction needs to be made. I can easily look back at my own life, when it didn’t reflect the values of the faith I claimed. The literally countless times I drifted away from the God whom loves me. I will forever be grateful that the Bible leaves room for this solely because Jesus first paid for it. Every day has battles, and as long as I am here on this earth there will be battles that I sometimes lose. Thankfully Jesus has won the war.
The all important distinction that must be established is whether or not the Christian treats it as a battle. What I hope to address is the foundational shift in the minds of many professing Christians. The mindset that I can identify as a follower of Christ while at the same time advocating whatever personal beliefs and values I find most appealing. I hope to address this by unpacking the fundamental question, how did I become a Christian?
I became a Christian because God, solely out of grace, opened my eyes to believe in His message of salvation. The message that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. My life was forever changed after placing my trust in the sacrifice Jesus provided on the cross. I recognized as my faith matured, that in order to continue believing in the power of the words that saved me, I must also acknowledge the authority of the source from which they were given. This source is the Bible, and the more I studied the Scriptures the more I discovered the truth of the words it contained. I recognized that by discrediting any portion of the Bible I am undercutting the very foundation of my faith for “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Tim 3:16). If I claimed any verses were no longer true or applicable today then all authority and power of the “source” from which I claimed my very salvation is lost.
As soon as I begin picking and choosing what to believe then who isn’t to say that “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son…” (John 3:16) is no longer true? There is no difficulty believing that God created the world or that Jesus came back from the dead, yet uneasiness is produced at the thought of the Bible I read today containing exactly what God intended it to. The reality is soon brought to light that instead of humbly submitting to the passages I may dislike, I am pridefully elevating my authority above the very word of God who’s “every word proves true” (Proverbs 30:5). The logical progression should be if in fact He is creator and I am creation, then it must follow that I am subject to His ways, not Him to mine. Furthermore if indeed He is a Holy God and I am a sinful man then it should come as no surprise when I read something I disagree with. Actually, it should be expected. If in His perfection and in my brokenness we saw eye-to-eye on every issue then either He is not perfect (in which case He would no longer be God) or I in fact possess the very mind of God (equally unlikely).
Herein lies the conclusion that there is no middle ground. I am faced with only two options:  Either the whole Bible is the actual Word of God worthy of my complete devotion, or just another book in which according to personal preference, I decide which statements are worthy of my time.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17

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