Instructions or The Good News?

Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Dear Fellow Travelers,
To be sure, the Pharisees were zealously committed to the Scriptures (the part they had!) but they missed the point: THE BIBLE IS NOT AN INSTRUCTION MANUAL FOR HOLY LIVING! Regardless, the Jewish leaders were fully persuaded that the Bible was their “Handbook to Happiness!” They had (in their opinions!) correctly interpreted the Law (of Moses, aka The Ten Commandments); consequently, all their followers had to do in order to please God, to be happy, to live a “blessed” life, to avoid the penalty for sin, to have eternal life was to read and, then, obey the instruction manual. How simple could it get? As a test, try obeying the 210 Rules for Keeping the Sabbath Holy, that they had to obey. On second thought, go back and read the book of Leviticus and just try to understand the rules, forget about trying to obey them! Let me know how you do.
So much for the Pharisees. What about the typical, modern-day Christian? Oh, to be sure, we are zealously committed to the Scriptures, and like the Pharisees, we (for the most part) sincerely believe that we will find not only eternal life in them, but also happiness, blessings, prosperity, health, et al. Interestingly, this is the very thing that Jesus was at-tempting to correct for the Pharisees, so maybe we, too, should pay attention. “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life” (John 5:39-40; NASB).
Folks, when we reduce the Bible to life’s instruction manual, we trivialize it into nothing more than “good ideas for better living,” making man the central character, rather than Jesus. Yes, the Scriptures contain many good instructions for our lives, instructions that, when followed, can make an incredibly positive difference in our lives. Consider these as examples: “Pray for your enemies”; “Owe no man anything but to love one another”; “Judge not, that you be not judged”; “Be kind to one another”; and “Do all things without grumbling”.
Now be honest: Of all the sermons you have heard, how many were crafted in such a manner, as to present the Bible as THE instruction manual for better, even holy, living? How many times have you heard something similar to this, as you listened to a sermon: Obey these three principles and your marriage will improve; or obey these five principles and you will be financially free; or obey these seven (perfect number) principles and your children will make you proud. I am betting that most of what you have heard (with the possible exception of “revival week”) falls into this framework. Of course, you have to find out the “hard way” that following the principles does NOT always produce the promised result.
Until the Holy Spirit allowed me to see the Scriptures as the revelation of Jesus, the revelation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I saw them as THE instruction manual for better, even holy, living; consequently, I read them, studied them, and preached them to that end. How often I have wished I could somehow “undo” the damage I did, especially to those who were on the receiving end of my study and preaching.
When, however, He allowed me to see that to which I was blinded, the Scriptures came alive to me; for the first time in my life, they were making sense to me. I realized that I had had the “cart before the horse”! I realized that what people needed to hear was not how to live a better life; instead, they (we!) needed to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. After all, IT is the power of God for salvation (justification, sanctification, and glorification)—to the Jew first but also to the Greek (Gentile)!
For some reason, the church today seems to think that once the Gospel is preached and believed, it is then time to give instructions on how to live the Christian life. Sadly, even the “gospel” is often preached in terms that communicate this tragic and false message: Becoming a Christian and, then, living a life that is pleasing to God will guarantee a better, happier life, in the here and now. In my opinion, this is tragic! Why? Because it is NOT true! Ask Paul!
In my opinion, The Gospel of Jesus Christ should be preached often, as in very often, not only to the lost, but also (and especially) to believers! Why? Because it is so easy to be manipulated into using the Bible, merely as an instruction manual, and losing sight of this fundamental truth: God has a much higher dream for my life (and yours) than mere happiness in the here and now. His dream for me is that I find ultimate fulfillment in the Person of Jesus Christ, who is revealed in the Scriptures, even the Gospel. I must be reminded that Jesus is the main character in the Scriptures, the One who came, not to give me a book of instructions, but to rescue me from sin and death!