Don Cram

When the word “Scripture” is found in the New Testament, it (almost always, see the last paragraph below) refers to a book of the the Old Testament.

The New Testament was originally written down in an everyday form of Greek called Koine (pronounced koy-NAY). The Old Testament was written in Hebrew with parts in a related language called Aramaic.

The Hebrew Bible contains all the books found in the christian Old Testament, although the order is different and some books are combined. Also, a few of the books divide the chapters differently than the christian Bible does. Some christian traditions include in the Old Testament additional books called the Apocrypha or additions to some books. In most traditions these books are to be read for life instruction but not for doctrine.

About these 39 Old Testament books, the New Testament says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;” (II Timothy 3:16)

Probably in the year 68 CE, just before Peter was killed in Rome, he wrote his second and final letter to the christians in some of the same areas where Paul had written letters earlier. Peter does seem to regard Paul’s writings as Scripture: “Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” (II Peter 3:14–16)

“Believe in the Lord Jesus…” (Acts 16:31).

Salvation involves a turning from sin and a turning to God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Faith is not strictly a process of logic, although there is nothing illogical in it. Believing is reasonable but is not the product of reason alone. Many have come to Christ after an examination of the evidence.

On the other hand, faith is not strictly a process of the heart. The desire to experience forgiveness, the emotions of release, and the hope of eternal life are as real as anything else in this life. But, believing is not just a feeling.

To believe is to lean the whole weight of one’s being on the Lord Jesus Christ, to commit your future and all your days to Him.

When your parent built you that treehouse it was good of you to say you believed it would support your weight because the one who built it loved you. The strength of the trunk and diameter of the heavy branches could logically be shown to be able to hold you. You believed when you stepped off the ladder into the treehouse.

“The LORD is my shepherd,…He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:1…3)

God promises to lead you, and He will lead you. But, God is not some super-genie you can control by saying, “If the next stoplight is green when I reach it, then I should buy the new car.”

There are hundreds of examples in the Bible of God’s leading. These include through prayer, by Scripture, through the words of another, through laws, by angels, through circumstance, and even (Numbers 22) by a donkey who spoke. There is even a book in the Bible where God is seen to control events without ever being mentioned (Esther).

We like to say, “I felt led to do it.”
We like to say, “God opened the door.”
And we like to point to a verse in the Bible and say it “spoke to us” in some special way.

Acting on some feeling can be dangerous. Trying to interpret circumstances can easily confuse life challenges with closed doors. And, taking a verse out of context to support some decision can be treating God’s Word like a magic book.

But God’s Word is there to lead us, His Spirit moves our hearts, and He is the blessed controller of all things (Romans 8:28). The best approach when seeking God’s leading or when it comes to you unsought, is to make sure all three line up.

Spirit – Signs – Scripture

Like the blue lights that mark runways on the approach, when these three line up you know which way to go.

Learn to listen to God’s small voice in your conscience and mind. Watch what is happening around you. Know the Scriptures so as to be able to distinguish godliness from the false.

And above all else, talk about what you are considering with someone whose spiritual maturity you respect.