Search the Scriptures

Acts 17:11 says "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so."

How many of us are like these men in Berea, searching the Scriptures daily? How many of us go home after hearing a good sermon, only to further dive into the Scriptures to see what they have to say about this? How many of you, after reading this article, will dive into your Bible to see if it is expressing a biblical worldview? How many of us, after hearing the opinions on the theology discussion look to see what the Scriptures have to saw about the subject?  Searching the Scriptures in such a way is something that I do not follow perfectly, so this exhortation is just as much for me as it is for anyone else.

I wonder what would actually happen if we did this... If we searched the Scriptures every day, to find out if there is truth in what we are reading, hearing or seeing. I know one thing for sure, we would all gain a biblical worldview.

1 John 4:1-3 adds, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world." We are called to test the Spirits.  How can we discern what is a lie without first knowing the truth?

The enemy is trying to deceive us so that he might corrupt our hearts. That's his number one specialty --deceit. We mustn't let him win this battle; we mustn't believe his lies; and in order to do this, we need to be continually searching the Scriptures.

The more we abandon the Bible, the more the voice of this world and the voice of the devil drowns out the voice of truth. I've been told that if you hear a lie long enough, you'll believe it. If we are not continually flooding our minds with truth, they will be corrupted by the sin and dirt of the devil. 

My friends, we must not let this happen! 

1 Thessalonians 5:21 says, "But test everything; hold fast what is good." Let us test everything that we read, hear, and see; holding on to only that which aligns with a biblical worldview.

Paul once said of Timothy "and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 3:15). Timothy held fast to the Scriptures.  He spent time in them.  And, as Paul says, they made him wise.  The Word of God teaches us what is truth, because it is the very words of the Lord to His people.  We must be spending time each day in these words so that our minds can be transformed.

How can we expect to grow, if we don't consume the pure milk of the word and the bread of life? We must be reading the guideline for life, if we expect to follow the straight and narrow way. If we want to become more like Christ, we must first know what He is like. The people you spend time with are the people you will imitate. When we spend time with God, we will find ourselves subconsciously imitating God.

Let us be diligent to read God's Word and hide it in our heart so that our feet may be planted firmly upon the truth of God's Word!