Eager Examination of the Scriptures
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Acts 17:11)
I believe in eternal retribution. That those who continue impenitent to the end of their earthly lives will be banished from the presence of God forever is a truth as clearly taught in the Scriptures as the fall of man or the resurrection of the dead.
The Bible is an organic unity, one with itself throughout, and must be received in toto or in toto rejected. I dare not select the parts I want to believe and exclude what disturbs or offends me. That would be to set up my fallible reason as a criterion against which to judge infallible revelation, obviously in itself an unreasonable thing to do.
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While it is true that I stand before the Bible to be judged and not the Bible before me; while it is true that I am morally obliged to accept the Holy Scriptures and by the light they afford prepare myself so the Holy Scriptures may accept me, as a serious-minded and responsible thinker I must admit that it is sometimes difficult to know precisely what the Scriptures teach on a given subject. When once we know, we must accept and believe; until we know we can maintain our moral integrity only by admitting our ignorance; and that very ignorance itself obliges us to search the Word in prayerful reverence until the light breaks and our doubts are cleared away.
Prayer
Lord, I can't expect to understand Your Word without personal study of it. By Your Spirit give me understanding.
Thought
Prayerful examination of God's Word is our responsibility as believers because we are personally accountable to expose ourselves to the Spirit's illumination. May we all be like the Bereans!
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