A L M A C I A S

A GOOD ATTITUDE TOWARD THE SCRIPTURES

It is really an amazing thing that people who called themselves religious would have a bad attitude toward the Word of God. But such is the case today in many places. People do not respect the Scriptures as they once did. Somehow people are wanting to follow God but also follow the world as well. This lack of respect for the Scriptures can be seen in the lack of study of the Scriptures by many so-called religious people. It is because of the ignorance that is so prevalent in the lives of so many that the church is in the state that it is. It used to be the case that if one happened to be away from his or her local congregation, that one could visit any church of Christ anywhere and find that all were preaching and teaching the same Gospel that was being taught back home. That is not the case anymore. There are so many who have departed from the pure Gospel, as did the Galatians.

Paul wrote in II Timothy 4:1-4,"I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and His kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." It is here that we find how the apostle Paul knew, by the Holy Spirit, what would eventually happen to many in the church. Some in the church would no longer be willing to endure sound doctrine. Some would no longer be interested in hearing the Word of God in its purity. Why is it the case that some would rather hear something completely different from the Word of God? Paul gave us here in II Timothy at least one reason that some would depart from the faith and go after fables. Paul said that it would be because this people in particular wanted to go after their own lusts, and yet be told that all was well with the world. These people were like those who are mentioned in II Thessalonians 2:10-12, who had no love for the Truth, but rather had pleasure in unrighteousness. How much respect do we have for the Scriptures?