“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” - Acts 17:11
You can't believe everything you hear. From social media to the news media, from office gossip to the community rumor mill, so much misinformation abounds. How can we discern what is credible and what is not? How can we separate truth from fiction?
Testing information comes down to trust. Can we trust the source of the information? Office gossip can't always be trusted. Rumors that circulate through the community aren't always accurate. The news media often offers filtered information based upon their own bias. Social media is totally unreliable.
I have found a source of truth. In fact, it is the truth. Jesus said, “Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth.” God's Word is the truth. We can depend upon the Word of God at all times. The Bible should be our guidebook, our source for wisdom and our daily manna. Since God is the author, we can depend on this Book. Read it daily. Meditate on it slowly. Study it regularly. Obey it consistently.
Sadly, American church members tend to ignore the Bible. Sure, we claim to believe the Bible. We publicly state that the Bible is God's Word. Yet few read it daily. From more than one pulpit, I asked for a show of hands when I posed this question: “In the past 7 days, how many of you read from your Bible every day?” Sadly, only a minority of people raised their hands.
It shouldn't shock us to realize that many common practices in our churches are based more on tradition than truth. We've allowed culture to define us rather than Christ. To make things worse, false doctrine and heresy has infiltrated the church. Yet most church members are oblivious to all of this. A good understanding of Scripture would make them aware of this.
The devil loves Biblical illiteracy in our churches. Since he is a liar, he can easily deceive those who are ignorant of the Bible's instruction.
When the Apostle Paul visited the Bereans, the Bible says, “... they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Here was the Apostle Paul preaching to them, yet they searched the Scriptures to verify that he spoke the truth. Let us do the same with all the information that comes our way, including preaching! Whether it is a talk show host, a newscaster, a celebrity or a televangelist, we need to carefully compare what they say to the truth taught in Scripture.
Beware of critics who try to lecture Christians about the Bible. These self-proclaimed “experts” try to lecture us about the Scriptures even though they don't believe the Bible or read it themselves. On one hand, they will label a Christian as a hypocrite for falling short of the Bible, but will criticize Christians for believing what the Bible teaches on controversial subjects.
We need to be like the Bereans. Be quick to believe and receive the Word, but careful to examine those who preach it. Furthermore, we need to dismiss anything and everything that violates Scripture, whether it comes from a political lectern, a news desk or a pulpit. We don't need political correctness today, we need Biblical correctness.
A dusty Bible is often the sign of a dirty life. I hear some say, “I believe the Bible from cover to cover,” but it appears that they haven't cracked the cover in some time. Charles Spurgeon once said, “Visit many good books, but live in the Bible.”
The Bible is a special gift from God. Let us cherish this gift. If the Bible is God's Word (and it is), then we should treat it seriously.
I don't like to be lied to. More than likely, you don't either. How do we know if we are being lied to? The Bible is the only standard of truth that we can use to test the information that comes our way. Let us use it wisely and regularly.
Be a Berean.
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