Bible is Our Standard and Guide

It may seem obvious to many, but the truth is a growing number of those professing Christ, don't consider the Bible the standard they are to live by, or if they do, they interpret it through modern eyes to the point of eliminating much of what it says, in order to prop up a false and deadly world view, or to undermine the authority of the Holy Scriptures in order to live life how they want.

Amazingly, there are those that say the Holy Spirit has given them unique insight into the Scriptures, even when it contradicts the context within which the words are spoken. What is really happening there is it isn't the Holy Spirit, but rather their own soul or desires which are masquerading as the Spirit. The Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures. He would never contradict their obvious meaning.

As I remember someone telling me long ago when talking about this: "I pick and choose what I want out of the Bible, like everyone else does." In other words, ignoring large portions so they don't have to discover what God has to say about His expectations in life. When I've heard people say this in the past, almost always I've found out later they were living a lifestyle of sin. No wonder they don't want to read what is said. It would interfere with their sin.

Whatever the reason given, we must repent from anything the undermines the final authority of the Scriptures. Paul even wrote this:

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2 Corinthians 10:5)

We are to adjust every thought we have to what the Bible says. It can't get any clearer than that. When we do so, we are to also obey what the Scriptures say, no matter what we may initially think or want.

The Bible is the revelation of truth concerning Jesus Christ. It's the standard we are to live by; there is no other.

The Great Commission's Amazing Task

Many of us don't understand the depth of the calling of Jesus Christ that He gave us when commanding us with what is identified as "The Great Commission."

The typical and historical idea of witnessing to people about Jesus being the end of the Great Commission, falls far short of the requirement we were given.

For example, He tells us to go and teach the nations to observe or obey all that He had taught them. That's an obvious reference to the entirety of the Word of God, which was embodied in the person of Jesus Christ and revealed in the Holy Scriptures.

It also hearkens back to the beginning of the creation of man, when Adam and Eve were given the command to subdue the earth. This was a continuation of that command, with Jesus letting us know we must restore the original purpose we were created for.

The whole earth is to be filled with the glory of the Lord, and that means a people that live and walk in obedience to all that God has commanded us.

There is the expanse of the Great Commission, with individual salvation opening up a great door to all that God had planned for us before the foundation of the world.

To Love Christ is to Obey Him

It gets sillier and sillier to hear some of the ways Christians express their love of Jesus Christ. They use romantic expressions like "falling in love with Him," and other such things.

The problem is they really don't mean the love required as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, they instead mean some type of emotional feel-good thing that is believed to be loving God, but is only a feeling.

What the Bible teaches in the very words of Jesus Christ is this: "if you love me, keep my commandments." I don't care what your emotional connection to the name Jesus is, if you're not obeying His commands, you don't love Him, it's as simple as that. It's not rocket science and there is no uncertainty to the words Jesus spoke.

That doesn't mean can't have affection and appreciative feelings towards Jesus, it's just that you can have all of that and not love Him as revealed in the Bible. Obey Him, and you know you love Him whether you feel it or not, or think of fellowship with Him as a romantic journey.

Jesus Christ: If You Love Me, You Will Keep My Commandments

It is far past time we reject this idea that loving God has little to do with obeying what He has revealed to us in His word. Jesus Himself said this: "If you love me, keep my commandments."

There is nothing confusing or ambiguous about this. Love, as far as it relates to Jesus Christ, is determined by our level of obedience to Him. It's that simple. What must be obeyed is revealed in the Scriptures.

Living for Christ isn't difficult to understand. It's summarized like this: What does the Bible say, and what are we going to do about it? Those who don't want to obey are those who create an image of Christ they want to serve; one that has little to do with the real Christ our Lord.

Where do nice feelings come in? They don't. That doesn't mean we won't have an affection for the Lord out of appreciation for what He's done for us. But that doesn't determine whether or not we love Him, or define love as explained specifically by Him.

I'm also not talking about how we are to relate to one another. I'm talking specifically about what loving God means. It's no more or less than obedience to His word.

Now the question we all have to ask is, what are we going to do about it.

Bring Every Thought into Captivity to Christ

2 Corinthians 10:3-6

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.


There is probably fewer scriptures the body of Christ needs today than this one, as a growing number of novel teachings are being introduced into the church, which are the exact opposite of who Jesus Christ really is and what He represents.

Especially important is verse 5, which admonishes all of us to walk and think humbly before God. This is why the Holy Spirit tells us to cast down imaginations and high things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God.

The knowledge of God has been revealed to us, but there are numerous people proclaiming to be Christians which for a variety of reasons oppose this knowledge. They also existed in the times of Paul, and this is why he so strongly stated what he did.

Finally, it's not only casting down this thoughts against God, but also bringing all of our thoughts into subjection to Jesus Christ. This blasts away the lie of so-called post-modernism, which many people who name Christ have adapted in order to be "relevant." The result has been the salt losing its influence, and they become representatives of the world in the name of Jesus. It's a lie.

What Paul under the influence of the Holy Spirit is saying is we aren't allowed to think what we want about Jesus Christ and God our Father, but are to take what we are taught of Him in the scriptures and line our thoughts up with that. There is no alternative. We are not allowed by God to think sloppy thoughts about Him that don't agree with who He is or the scriptures. To think or believe otherwise is to create a god after our own image or imagination; a god that doesn't exist anywhere except in our minds.

Lining up our thoughts with who Christ is is to obey Him. Our thoughts must be brought into obedience to Christ or we'll be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.