Follow The Scriptures

“Well, I’ve never heard that before!” Maybe you’ve said this, perhaps you’ve heard this. Hopefully, you realize that this is not a real reason for rejection. I hope also that you realize this is not a real reason for excuse from consequences. Saying ”I have never heard this” does not free you from consequences and certainly does not allow you to not need to investigate it, yet if we put this phrase in a religious context, many agree.

Think about this very same thing from a legal perspective. Traffic laws change frequently, and when they do change, what comes with them is often a “grace period.” This is the kindness of the government saying, “Before we enforce the penalties of violating this law, we will resort to warnings and frequent road postings.” For example, College Station made texting while driving a punishable crime years ago, yet before enacting the punishment, they were gracious in giving warnings. Would they do that with a speed violation on a neighborhood road? A neighborhood has a speed limit of 30mph unless otherwise posted. If you’re a new driver, maybe you get a warning - maybe! If you’re a “seasoned driver,” do you get any warning? No, you get a ticket. This has been the law long enough for you to know and practice. I use this example because it parallels which Scripture well. It is 2023, soon to be 2024, and people still dismiss what the Bible says because they have not “heard it before.” There are people on the day of Judgement who will likely tell Jesus, their judge (Acts 17:30-31), that they have “never heard it before.” Well, considering that we have had Scripture available to us in such abundance within the last 2000 years, especially the last 400 years, is that any excuse? Is it excusable when we have Bibles at home, Bibles on our devices, and Bibles available for free around nearly every corner? Most assuredly not. We are definitely without excuse when we hear it, and we never investigate it after concluding, “I’ve never heard that before.”

2 Peter 1:3, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness…” Read it. Learn it. Study it. Practice it. Do not walk away from it.