Lesson 505 CAN YOU REALLY PROVE "ANYTHING" BY THE BIBLE?
(Be sure and look up the Bible References listed)
The statement, "You can prove anything by the Bible", is usually made because of one or two reasons. First, it may be because one does not believe in God. If such a person claims to believe in Him; his estimate of God is so carnal and fleshly that he views His presence, wisdom, and power lower than that of a man. The belief that "You can prove anything by the Bible" which is God's inspired word, is a faith which seeks to discredit God's authority, holiness and divinity. No human would be held reputable, upstanding and without reproach if it were said of him and his word, "You can prove just anything by that man's word." Such a statement about the Bible seeks to ridicule it as a worthless book; depicting it with no reliable proof to substantiate truth concerning the body, life and soul. Such disbelief is often formulated because of a lack of Bible Study.
Secondly, this may be propagated by one who wants to misuse the Bible as a liberal license to practice anything he desires both physically and spiritually. This low view of the Bible would not be held, nor liberal practice performed, if each passage of the Bible were read, studied and examined within it's own context and setting. When one asks, in all honesty and sincerity, "Can I really find any proof from the Bible?" ne answer is, "Yes". Ile word prove means to show to be true by examination or testing. It also means, to show to be capable and dependable. Therefore, when the subjects of life and godliness are under consideration, it is not a matter of can one prove just "anything", anyway of life, to be capable and dependable but rather, a matter of proving, from the Bible, everything that pertains to life and godliness.
Peter by the Holy Spirit, stated in 11 Peter 1:3, that God's "divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue." There are two very challenging things in this passage of Scripture.The first is, "he bath given unto us all things", not just anything, nor something, but all things that pertain to life and godliness.The second important thing is that all these things come "through the knowledge of Him." This is why Paul told Timothy in 11 Timothy 2:15, to "study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not be ashamed" Therefore it is imperative to study and to find in the Bible, all the things that God has given that pertain to life and godliness and then to practice those things. One will then have a capable, dependable life. 11 Corinthians 13:5 asked the Church at Corinth to, "Examine, yourselves, whether you be in the faith; prove your ownselves..." The process of examining and proving one's faith must be by the inspired word of God. Why? Because faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God, Romans 10:17. What do you believe about salvation, baptism, the Lord's Supper, giving, the kind of music in Christian worship, daily living and seeking the lost? Go to the Bible and let it examine and prove or test your belief. Before you begin your search, from the Bible, for all things that pertain to life and godliness, for that which will give knowledge of God, and prove your faith, you must rid yourself of the idea that "you can prove just anything by the Bible". The truth of God's book must be examined with a good and honest heart rather than an attitude of prejudice and ridicule. In 11 Timothy 3:16-17 the Bible says, "all Scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in rightc-ousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." May you be that man of God, that thoroughly furnished person. May you be a God blessed person by and through the word of God, the Bible!