“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:3–4).
On my family’s mantel, which is a shelf above a fireplace, sat a set of encyclopedias. My brother and I often used them when we wrote reports about people, places, or animals. Most of the time the encyclopedias were helpful. As we got older though, they did not always have up-to-date information. For instance, when I look in that same set of encyclopedias today, it tells me that the president of the United States is Jimmy Carter and that a little over four billion people live in the world. That information is not true for today, because we have a different president now and the world’s population is over seven billion people. However, other information is still correct, such as the number of states in the U.S.A. and the names of the oceans of the world. So the encyclopedia set is helpful for some things, but not everything.
There is, however, a book that is always relevant, helpful, and current regardless of how old it is. That book is the Bible. Some people seem to think the Bible is like a set of outdated encyclopedias. They say that the Bible is helpful for some things but that it does not contain everything we need to know. Or they claim it is not relevant, meaning that because it was written in an ancient time and place, it is not useful for every area of our lives today, because we live in a different time and a different place.
We know that the Bible says, “Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15). It was wrong to steal back when Moses lived, and it is wrong to steal today. But what if someone wanted to know what music to listen to, what websites to look at, or what books to read? When the Bible was written, there were no bookstores, computers, or iPods. How do we know what we should do? If something is not specifically mentioned in the Bible, should we make a decision based on personal likes or dislikes? Some have said, “Let your conscience be your guide.” That kind of advice takes our attention away from the Bible. The Bible directs us to what we should do, and we must look to the Bible first rather than making a decision based on our own thoughts and desires.
Christians are commanded to live in a godly way, which means their behavior should follow what the Bible says. The all-powerful, all-knowing God has given us everything we need to live a life of godliness. If you have confessed your sinfulness to God, believed in His provision of eternal life through Jesus Christ, and received salvation by grace through faith without relying on your own works, then you are able to live a godly life by God’s power.
As a Christian, you are complete in Christ, which means God has given you everything you need to live a godly life. God has given you the righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ, and the continual presence of the Holy Spirit. As you study God’s Word with the motive of loving Jesus, the Holy Spirit helps you understand what you should do and Jesus’ righteousness enables you to obey. So God’s Word should be the final decision maker in your life, rather than your conscience.
You will not find a verse that says, “Thou shalt not read, listen to, or look at a particular book, song, or website.” But you will find verses that tell you what kinds of things should be before your eyes or in your mind. God has given us everything necessary for life and godliness; nothing has been left out (2 Timothy 3:16–17). And what God has given us is never outdated or irrelevant.
God’s Word was helpful in the past, is helpful in the present, and will be helpful in the future.
My response:
» Do I regularly think about things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and worthy of praise—the way Philippians 4:8 says to do?
» Today will I consider what I watch, listen to, and read; and will I ask if, according to the Bible, those things should be on my mind?