CONSEQUENCES OF REJECTING THE SCRIPTURES

 

 

Israel had rejected the Scriptures and refused to listen to the many prophets God had sent them. Eventually, this led to the destruction of Judah as it had to the northern Kingdom of Israel before them:

 

·       The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy. (2 Chronicles 36:15–16)

 

Why was the Kingdom of Judah destroyed? Scripture explains that they had despised “His Words.” How many of God’s Words did they need to reject for God to have brought this destruction upon them?

It always starts by rejecting just one passage. If they can justify doing this, they can easily justify rejecting the next passage of the Scriptures, which they find displeasing. There is no end to this. Therefore, we call this the “slippery slope.” Once you justify one rejection of the Scriptures, you slide onto more. There is nothing to stop you from setting yourself up as a judge of the Scriptures, placing your wisdom above God’s Word, but repentance.

 

In his pride, King Saul had placed his wisdom above the Word of God. It had been building. Saul had started as a humble king, but the success and praise went to his head, and his rejection of the Word in favor of his own judgment increased. Finally, God informed the Prophet Samuel that He was going to depose Saul.

When Samuel arrived, Saul tried to convince him that he had been obedient to the Word of God even if not to every letter. However, Samuel corrected him:

 

·       And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:22–23)

 

To reject the Word of God, even in just one instance, is to reject God:

 

·       But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. (James 2:9–10)

 

What James had written was a summary of the many warnings of the Law, which required fidelity to each command of God. Jesus also warned against the dangers of any one sin, any departure from the Word of God:

·       But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. (Matthew 5:22)

 

Even calling someone a fool makes us liable to damnation. Even though God is forgiving, receiving His forgiveness requires confession of any known rejection of God’s Word and repenting of it. We must not take any sin casually. It cost Jesus His life since God hates sin. Therefore, we must repent. To trust in ourselves and our judgments, more than the Scriptures, is sin and it leads to disaster:

·       Thus says the LORD: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. (Jeremiah 17:5–7)

 

There is only one way to trust in the Lord. This is to trust in His Word rather than in our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). Our refusal to do this punishes us:

·       Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. (Proverbs 15:32)

 

Refusal to adhere to the Word will prove costly:

·       Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them. (Proverbs 1:29–32)

 

Our choices can kill us. To turn away from God’s Word is ultimately to love death (Proverbs 8:36). Likewise, to ignore God’s truths is to sin. Paul had declared his innocence because he had not neglected the Word of God:

 

·       Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. (Acts 20:26–27)

Had Paul set aside any of this counsel, he would have been guilty. Many are guilty of this “minor sin.” Many assure me that even though they cannot accept a God who will punish eternally, they still believe in the Word of God. However, they are placing their own wisdom and sentiments above the Scriptures. Consequently, they are trusting in themselves rather than in God, who guarantees “every Word the comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

 

Others assure me that they fully trust in the Word of God, but that the theory of evolution has demonstrated that we cannot take Genesis 1-11 as history. Instead, we need to regard it as myth or a parable that contains important spiritual lessons. However, in denigrating Genesis, they also denigrate all of the Biblical commentary on these chapters, which regard Genesis as history as well as theology. As a result, they are at a loss as to how to interpret the Bible. They claim, “Well we need to be humble about our interpretation of the Scriptures.” They are so “humble” about it, that they are at a loss as to how to interpret any of it. They are killing their trust in God without any awareness of it. To not trust what the Bible teaches in some cases makes it impossible to believe what the Bible teaches elsewhere.

 

Others dismiss the passages which speak against sexual sin. However, to allow for some sexual sins is to remove the Biblical defenses against all sexual sins. Consequently, no Biblical restraints remain against incest, adultery, bestiality, and pedophilia.

 

In contrast, what a blessing it is to fully embrace the Word of God and trust in God:

 

·       But [Jesus] said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28)

 

I have been so blessed to fully embrace God’s Word. Through it, God has delivered me from years, even decades, of depression, self-loathing, and panic attacks. He has given me a new and beloved identity and a confidence that I had never dreamed possible.