What is the Point?

But man dies and is laid away; Indeed he breathes his last And where is he? (Job 14:10 NKJV)

Studying the Bible

Many of us have tried to understand the Bible since it has been proven through fulfilled prophecy and through the accuracy of its historical accounts to be the revelation of God to mankind.  Some have gone to seminary, some have used good commentaries, some of us have read and reread the Bible using different versions.  Many of us have tried to know; and, if we are public preachers, we have tried to teach our convictions about what the Bible says. Unfortunately, many of us have realized that the Bible we are reading (as long as we are using a relatively good version) is not the Bible of many of the popular preachers of our day.  So what is the point of all of our study?

Many of the current controversies involve the doctrines of election and predestination.  Another controversy involves the prophetic plan.  Another controversy has to do with the age of the earth.  Another controversy involves our relationship to politics and then ultimately to war.  A current controversy involves the doctrine of headship.  Divorce and remarriage has always been a hot topic.   We have controversy over church discipline and excommunication as well as church reception in the local church.   But a more important and basic controversy involves what it means to be “born again” or to be “saved.”  This also involves the many doctrines on baptism.  Because I have always wanted to be right when I meet God, I personally have tried to study many of these issues so that I could personally be satisfied about them.   It is my intention to leave on record my conclusions on these matters in another paper.  But even as I write this, I ask myself, “What does it matter to be convinced that much of the teaching on these matters is not only faulty but damaging to the testimony of true believers?

Here is Why it Matters

With regard to the teaching on salvation and the new birth, our eternal destinies depend on having that doctrine right.  If I love my neighbor, I need to be sure that I am not misleading others on the issue of salvation.  I also need to be sure that I have been born again.

Satan is the author of confusion.  He doesn’t care what lie we believe as long as we don’t believe the truth.  While I realize that not everyone is going to be able to study the Bible in the way I have, all of us can let the plain sense make sense.  We can study verses in their context.   We can remember that the old testament deals with earthly people with earthly promises while the new testament introduces us to a heavenly people with heavenly promises.   The new testament also continues the record of how God will deal with His earthly people.  

Letting the Plain Sense Make Sense

Everyone who reads the Bible can recognize the value of simple statements like John 3:16,  John 3:36, John 5:24, Acts 4:12.  I am convinced that if we let the plain sense make sense, most people can grasp the basic message of the Bible and they can be prepared for eternity when they die.  

So what is the point of all this study?  It has convinced me that God has given us His word that Christ is the Son of God and that He died for the sins of the whole world.  It has convinced me that you don’t need to have a handle on all of the doctrines of the Bible that I have mentioned above to know that God’s promises are simple and straightforward.  I hope that all of the confusion in this world with regard to who and what we believe, will not deter anyone from accepting the plain truth found in John 3:36 which says, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. (John 3:36 NKJV).”

The Age-Old Question

Yes, Job asked the question, where will man be when he dies?  It is an age-old question answered by the religious world in many different ways.  But we can all believe God when He tells us that “truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:30-31 NKJV).”

Job has asked an important question.  My studies have convinced me that anyone who is simple enough to take God at His Word in John 3:16 will be ready for the day when they breathe their last.  We don’t need to know everything that the Bible teaches, but we all need to be simple enough to believe that the Bible is God’s promise that “whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish.”

Bruce Collins

Meditation for the week of April 27, 2025

If you would like further conversation about the issues in these meditations, contact me at collinsbd@yahoo.com and I will try to accommodate you with a virtual Bible Study.