Embracing the Authority of the Bible

Once we have embraced Jesus Christ, we know face the most difficult challenge of the Christian faith. The challenge is to completely embrace the authority of the Bible. We are to bring all our thoughts and actions in complete surrender to the Bible. Our entire lifestyle is to be patterned after the it. We are not just to accept the Bible when we come across it, but are to constantly seek it out to make sure we are following the will of God (Matthew 4:4; James 1:25).

Everything the Bible says is true, we must believe. If we have a difficult time accepting the virgin birth, but the Bible says it’s true, we must go against our intellect. If someone presents supposed historical evidence that shows that Jesus was married and had children, but the Bible, of course, says otherwise, we are to accept what the Bible says.

This line of thinking is to be carried over into our behavior as well. If psychologists, doctors, scientists, sociologists, and politicians say that homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle, we must disagree. We must do so because the Bible teaches that homosexuality is a sin. If we have an overwhelming feeling that we should get a divorce or just truly feel that we should not have to stay in our current marriage, but the Bible says otherwise, then we must surrender to the Bible. We must not practice homosexuality or divorce. Again, the reason why is because of the teaching of the Bible. If the Bible teaches it, then we must accept it. We are to live according to the Bible (Deuteronomy 8:3, 31:12; 2 Chronicles 34:21; Psalm 119:17, 101, 105, 133; Matthew 4:4, 13:23; Mark 4:20; Luke 6:47-49, 8:15, 11:28; John 8:51-52).

In fact the Bible teaches that we shouldn’t even slightly stray from the Bible (Deuteronomy 5:32-33, 28:13-14, Joshua 1:7). We must be in complete surrender to the Bible. If we cannot do so, then it is doubtful that we truly have faith. “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:6). Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

It is very difficult to accept the authority of the Bible. We often just want to go our own way, but if we do then is Jesus our Lord or are we. Who is your master, yourself or Jesus Christ? Remember He said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commands” (John 14:15). Are you truly a Christian? Are you truly a follower of Christ? Then you must begin to surrender to the authority of the Bible.