A wonderful organization that encourages thousands of men and women to study the bible more deeply and in a very challenging way is Bible Study Fellowship International (BSF). I have participated briefly in one of their study groups, when we lived in Fort Smith in 1996-97, and then Tara participated in one just prior to our coming to The King’s Lodge.
Clearly, studying God’s written revelation is very important. I’ll never forget when Coach Darryl Lace, my high school football coach, taught me his favorite verse: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15. I’ll always remember reading this verse for the first time: “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8. And I could fill a page with verses and chapters about loving the law and studying His word. (Of course, all of these verses, when they were written, were focused only on the OT books in existence as of the time they were written.)
Tonight, as Tara was studying our memory verses for the week, Romans 12:1-2, she looked back at her BSF notes on the verses. As she read she noted these quotes in the Lesson:
He has spoken and the place He has spoken is the Bible.
We are people under God’s authority and that authority is expressed in the Bible.
I don’t think I am reading too much into these statements to say that you can read them as absolutes. The first quote appears to say that God has spoken through the written Bible and that that is the only place through which He speaks today. It is the place through which He has spoken, period. The second quote, which I agree with, can be read many different ways, but if it is saying that the only place God’s authority is expressed is in the Bible, I disagree. Why? Because when I jump up in the air I will come back down through the law of gravity. That is an expression of God’s authority but there is nothing about that in the Bible.
I believe that the Bible is absolutely authoritative. Because I believe the Bible is absolutely authoritative I believe that God speaks in many different ways to His children. I see the Bible as revealing God’s desire to restore relationship with His children. He is, as Jesus makes clear, our Abba, our daddy. Isn’t it beautiful when Jesus says, “my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” And, isn’t it amazing that God calls us to know Him?? To experience Him through intimacy? A relational, experiential knowledge, (Hebrew “yada”), not just a factual knowledge. Just as Adam knew Eve.
I don’t understand what it means to enter in to a personal relationship with God if we don’t continue to walk in the same way. Colossians 2:6. When we have a personal relationship it isn’t one-sided. Why would we pray if God doesn’t speak? Why would pastors preach if they don’t have a message from the Lord? Why wouldn’t we just read God’s word? And, what about every day life, where other than broad principles like love and live as living sacrifices, how do you determine how to walk in Him? If Tara and I hadn’t heard God’s voice speaking through a myriad of ways, we definitely would not have left everything we knew to come to the missions field.
I believe God speaks to us today, not just through His word, but in every way He has always spoken to His children as is written in His written revelation. I believe that that is challenging because there are many voices in this world, including our own minds, which are often quite devious. So, as I continue to think through this and process much of what I’ve learned in the past year, I will write more about listening for the voice of God in the every day life. I am not at all throwing out the Bible, as some may want to accuse, because it is the foundation and the measuring stick against which we should measure all “voices” and all of our lives; however, I simply hope to demonstrate that God wants a very real, moment by moment, personal and intimate relationship with His children, and that includes communicating with them in dynamic ways. I also hope to encourage everyone to spend time in the Bible every day, growing in an understanding of Who God Is.