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What do we think when we say God has inspired all scripture (2Ti.3:16,17)? We would be wrong if we thought that therefore every single word in the Bible can be taken literally or as stand-alone truths. Actually, the way the Bible is written, we need to put together all the different truths revealed in the different parts of the Bible in order to understand truth in its balance. For example, if we don't bring the fear of God side by side with the love of God, we will end up with a totally distorted view of God. When people take single verses or passages out of the Bible to form their doctrines, they go into error.

Let us look at some of the common examples. Someone is impressed with God's desire that everyone should be saved (1Ti.2:3,4), and then conclude that therefore everyone will be ultimately saved. If such people just looked at the rest of the Bible, they would have seen the holiness, righteousness and justice of God which demand that sin must be punished, and realised that those who will not repent and believe in the Saviour will not be saved.

Those who are taken up with God's willingness to forgive and receive the vilest sinners (1Co.6:9-11), sometimes go on to imagine that no matter how they live, the grace of God will cover them. They forget that if they don't have a strong desire to stop sinning, it is possible that they have not even been born again (1Jn.3:9).

There are many who think that once they have been forgiven and accepted by God, they will never lose that relationship (Jn.10:28,29). But then they have to ignore the many warnings given in the epistles, such as He.3:12, for us to take care lest we fall away.

You get the idea. It is unfortunate that some churches get their identity from some such narrow doctrines, and imagine that it makes them unique. One church claims they are the only ones who celebrate Saturday as the sabbath, and another as those who wear white clothes, and yet another as not taking medicines, etc. Each one takes some verse or a few verses to prove their stand, but ignores the bigger picture of the truth that is revealed in the Bible. Each one is convinced that they are right, because they quote certain verses as the word of God, and they even consider anyone who tries to point out their error as an enemy of Christ.

It takes time and effort to study the Bible and understand its different truths in their right level of importance and in relation to all other truths. Not everyone goes to Bible schools, and not every church takes the time to teach theology systematically. Modern life is very much rushed, not allowing people to have time to sit down, read the Bible and study it for themselves. So it becomes easy to assume that the pastor has done the research and simply accept whatever he preaches.

But that is risky, and if we fear for our life, it becomes necessary for each one to search the Bible and learn its truths. Dangerous times call for serious action.

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