A listener wrote in to say: So what you are saying is, from the very, very start of the Bible being written, no man, no one person has compiled any other words in there somewhere, made a human error in a spelling, a misunderstanding, taken out and put something else in it? I want to believe in the Bible but I just cannot believe in all of what it is said. I have a good heart. I’m just unhappy that I’m thought of as a sinner and Satan has me, because I think outside of the box and are open-minded to think that maybe the Bible from all that long ago could of been tampered with, and I’m not as bad as it says I am in certain places…
Of COURSE there have been people who have purposely changed the words, etc. But that’s a recent thing. The Bible itself says that it is God’s words to us – don’t you think He would have taken care that it would NOT be corrupted all down through the centuries? It is only in recent years that anyone has WANTED to corrupt it – and been able to get away with it. If you look at a little history over how the Bible was written, compiled and preserved you’ll see what I mean.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. 2 Tim. 3:16
If you are reading an older version: King James, New American Standard, Douay-Rheims, Amplified for a few examples, ALL of these were translated by deeply serious men, who were DEEPLY committed to preserving and translating the Scriptures accurately from the original languages they were written in. And THOSE were so carefully copied and passed on that if a translator made a single mistake on a parchment page…handwriting, which took forever…the entire page was thrown out and they started again, so that not a SINGLE mistake could be written in any way for others to wonder at. And there are many other versions besides the ones I listed here.
So, if you’re reading something in the Bible that you “don’t like”…you are either not understanding God’s intent in the passage and need to look into that more. OR…your flesh is fighting against Who God really is. Yes – He is LOVE completely. But, no – He will not tolerate our freely engaging in what He has told us is sin. And we don’t get to decide which is what – He has already, in the Bible, clearly laid out for us what is good and what is sinful.
There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way that leads to death. Proverbs 14:12
God isn’t against these things He calls sin because He’s mean or hates you or anything like that. He is a righteous, pure God. He actually loves us more than we will ever be understand! So much so that Jesus died a horrid, cruel death on a cross so that we could be set free from sin.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16
Sin is simply doing things OUR way instead of His – and as we just saw, our way will always lead to our death. Not only our physical death, but more importantly, our spiritual death – which is forever separation from God and being sent to the place that was originally created for Satan and his devils – never man. But your wrongs have separated you from your God, and your sins have made him hide his face so that he doesn’t hear you. Isaiah 59:2
They (unbelievers) will be punished with a destruction that never ends. They will not be allowed to be with the Lord but will be kept away from his great power. 2 Thess. 1:9
God loves us in such a pure and holy way, His desire for us is always for our good. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28
Maybe it won’t seem like it in the short term, but in the long run, absolutely, the GOOD of God’s way will be obvious. The way Satan does things? It is ALL for your destruction and ultimate landing in Hell. It may LOOK “good” or appealing, or pretty, etc. But he is a liar from the very beginning, and what he lies MOST about is God. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. 2 Cor. 4:4