God says what He means, and means what He says. There is no "fine print" with God, hidden caveats and conditions from which He benefits through the ignorance of men. The truth is, most people do not believe what God says - even when He speaks literally with clarity.
Take the children of Israel, for example. God put words into the mouth of Ezekiel the prophet, warning His people of certain destruction at the hands of the Babylonians. In Ezekiel chapter 20, God laid forth the facts concerning their rebellion and disobedience. He went through the history of the people, how they carried with them idols from the land of Egypt and continued to blaspheme His holy name. God spoke of the future, how they would know He was the LORD when He brought them back from captivity. Despite the clarity of God's words, Ezekiel lamented by the response of the people in Ezekiel 20:49: "Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! They say of me, 'Does he not speak parables?'" What Ezekiel said didn't fit with the people's understanding of God, so they thought he must be speaking figuratively.
It is tragic when God speaks and His own people assume He is speaking in parables or riddles. Would you believe this happens today? There are some who think the first dozen chapters of the Bible are little more than symbolic language. Because some view science and scripture at odds, they lay aside the literal account of the creation of the earth by God as figurative. They claim to believe God and love God, but they assume He must be speaking in parables because they cannot see "days" fitting when some scientists affirm millions and billions of years must have passed. God has spoken, but men find reasons not to believe. This reminds me of John 12:42-43 which reads, "Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." People who believe the Bible is the literal word of God are afraid to admit it, because it could ostracise them from people they admire. To risk a career, advancement, or a reputation over a proclamation of belief doesn't seem worth it. And God's verdict? Such love the praise of men more than the praise of God, and that should be most troubling to a rational mind which remembers the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:32-33, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."
The crazy thing about unbelief is when God speaks the truth men assume He speaks in parables, and when Jesus spoke figuratively they were offended because they took His words literally! Jesus said in John 6:47-55, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." 52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?" 53 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed." After hearing this saying, many who followed Jesus departed and followed Him no longer. Many followed Jesus for a season and were interested in filling their bellies with bread, but they were offended at the suggestion to eat Christ's body and drinking His blood - not kosher! Having established the Law Jesus was not an advocate for cannibalism, but spoke figuratively of partaking of Christ's body and blood by faith, symbolism maintained in Communion.
Both literal and figurative speech are stumbling blocks to those who refuse to trust in Jesus Christ and receive Him as LORD and Saviour. Jesus Himself is a stone rejected by the builders who has become the Chief Cornerstone. After people left Jesus, He turned to His disciples and asked, "Are you going to leave too?" He would not have stopped them. He desires fellowship only with those who freely choose to remain faithful to Him, unmoved by the protests of the world. John 6:68-69 says, "But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Do you believe the word of God? Or do you assume the Bible must be speaking figuratively because it opposes your current belief? The Bible ought to always be taken literally unless the scripture itself suggests otherwise. Using scripture to interpret scripture whilst deferring to literal language is good and right, for God will not contradict Himself. Interpreting scripture by any other means strips the life right out of it, and fabricates a monstrosity out of the wickedness and hypocrisy found in our own hearts. Our lives depend on the literal Word of God, Christians, so hold it fast and boldly proclaim it. All other footing is sinking sand which leads to destruction.
Take the children of Israel, for example. God put words into the mouth of Ezekiel the prophet, warning His people of certain destruction at the hands of the Babylonians. In Ezekiel chapter 20, God laid forth the facts concerning their rebellion and disobedience. He went through the history of the people, how they carried with them idols from the land of Egypt and continued to blaspheme His holy name. God spoke of the future, how they would know He was the LORD when He brought them back from captivity. Despite the clarity of God's words, Ezekiel lamented by the response of the people in Ezekiel 20:49: "Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! They say of me, 'Does he not speak parables?'" What Ezekiel said didn't fit with the people's understanding of God, so they thought he must be speaking figuratively.
It is tragic when God speaks and His own people assume He is speaking in parables or riddles. Would you believe this happens today? There are some who think the first dozen chapters of the Bible are little more than symbolic language. Because some view science and scripture at odds, they lay aside the literal account of the creation of the earth by God as figurative. They claim to believe God and love God, but they assume He must be speaking in parables because they cannot see "days" fitting when some scientists affirm millions and billions of years must have passed. God has spoken, but men find reasons not to believe. This reminds me of John 12:42-43 which reads, "Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." People who believe the Bible is the literal word of God are afraid to admit it, because it could ostracise them from people they admire. To risk a career, advancement, or a reputation over a proclamation of belief doesn't seem worth it. And God's verdict? Such love the praise of men more than the praise of God, and that should be most troubling to a rational mind which remembers the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:32-33, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."
The crazy thing about unbelief is when God speaks the truth men assume He speaks in parables, and when Jesus spoke figuratively they were offended because they took His words literally! Jesus said in John 6:47-55, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." 52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?" 53 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed." After hearing this saying, many who followed Jesus departed and followed Him no longer. Many followed Jesus for a season and were interested in filling their bellies with bread, but they were offended at the suggestion to eat Christ's body and drinking His blood - not kosher! Having established the Law Jesus was not an advocate for cannibalism, but spoke figuratively of partaking of Christ's body and blood by faith, symbolism maintained in Communion.
Both literal and figurative speech are stumbling blocks to those who refuse to trust in Jesus Christ and receive Him as LORD and Saviour. Jesus Himself is a stone rejected by the builders who has become the Chief Cornerstone. After people left Jesus, He turned to His disciples and asked, "Are you going to leave too?" He would not have stopped them. He desires fellowship only with those who freely choose to remain faithful to Him, unmoved by the protests of the world. John 6:68-69 says, "But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Do you believe the word of God? Or do you assume the Bible must be speaking figuratively because it opposes your current belief? The Bible ought to always be taken literally unless the scripture itself suggests otherwise. Using scripture to interpret scripture whilst deferring to literal language is good and right, for God will not contradict Himself. Interpreting scripture by any other means strips the life right out of it, and fabricates a monstrosity out of the wickedness and hypocrisy found in our own hearts. Our lives depend on the literal Word of God, Christians, so hold it fast and boldly proclaim it. All other footing is sinking sand which leads to destruction.
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