It was Plato who said, "The unexamined life is the life not worth living." Another built on that and observed, "The unexamined religion is the religion not worth having. It behooves us all to always examine what we do in the light of the authority of the Word of God."

It's no secret that everyone thinks they are right. Some mistakenly view such an assertion as arrogance. No, arrogance is believing you are right and refusing to have your belief or position examined and debated. But believing you are right is common sense. Who believes they are wrong in their opinions? So the point is not whether we believe we are right. The point is, are we willing to subject our beliefs to scrutiny? Do we welcome open-minded debate or do we prefer the mantra which says, "Don't confuse me with the facts. I've got my mind made up." This inclination to insulate oneself inside of comfortable beliefs is a risk that has to be constantly guarded against by the honest seeker of truth.

The Christian must believe that there is one absolute standard: the Bible. Anything or anyone beyond that is subject to error. The Bible says, “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered” (Proverbs 28:26). In Jesus’ day a rabbinical tradition had developed whereby a man could exempt certain money to be used to support his needy parents by declaring it “vowed to God” but often continuing to use it in the meantime. He just wouldn’t let his parents have it. Jesus knew such people were too clever by half and cut right to the truth of the matter when he charged, “You say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is given to God, he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men’ ” (Matthew 15:5-9). The schemes of man, even and maybe especially those that try to co-opt legitimate biblical truth and press it into the service of supporting a tradition is the work of the hypocrite.

God's way is the only sure way. The Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). This does not mean that we can't know what is true and what is false and therefore teach such. It means that if our doctrine is true it will be clearly supported by scripture. If it cannot, then the honest heart should forsake it. What can we do to insure that we’re more likely to have the Bible shape our thoughts than the doctrines and traditions of men? Read it, read it and then read it some more. The apostle Paul told Timothy to “give heed to reading” (1 Timothy 4:13). He wasn’t talking about the Ephesus Daily News or the latest novel. He was talking about the Scriptures. “Give heed to read, Timothy!” Let the Bible develop your vocabulary and shape your thoughts. Give far more attention to it than anything written by men or women, whether the writers are members of the church or not. No writing warrants the attention and devotion that Scripture does.

So what is most precious to you? Clinging to long held and cherished beliefs and traditions? Or being a lover of the truth? The former will make you comfortable. The latter will get you into heaven.

God bless you,

Brad Fry