“Times have changed” someone might say. Many of the bishops in the Church of England seem to think its ok to move on from Scripture in the area of sexuality, maybe you have experienced similar comments, or teaching that undermines what the Bible says.
Yesterday we heard the need to guard our steps as we come to worship, the need to listen to God (Ecclesiastes 5). Today we fast-forward 1000 years and discover the Apostle Paul makes a similar warning that in the last days (the period between Jesus’ ascension and return) people will “oppose the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). Paul says people will be “proud, arrogant, abusive…heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal” in the way that they oppose the truth. So not being willing to listen to God’s Word is nothing new.
Why should we listen to God’s Word and how do we know that it’s not out of date?
Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “All Scripture is breathed out by God.” How dare we disregard what God has breathed out! How arrogant to think we know better than Almighty God! Who are we to think we know better? Scripture is not man’s thoughts about God at a particular time, it’s God speaking to man, revealing what He is like, revealing how we should live. Scripture contains all that we need to know, Paul tells us it is useful for “teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” It never goes out of date since it is breathed out by God to speak to people in every culture and time. And throughout history different cultures have struggled with different parts of God’s Word as it has challenged them with a counter-cultural word. It is one of the ways we know God is speaking, and he is not simply made in our image, He challenges us.
What happens if we disregard Scripture? In the verse just before, Paul tells Timothy that the Scriptures are able to make us wise for salvation. In other words, they reveal Jesus Christ to us. Jesus Christ, our only saviour, the one mediator, the one who died in our place for every sin, including all the times we have disregarded God’s Word. But if we continue to disregard Scripture, we will discover tragically that we have no salvation.
Scripture is not, nor will it ever be out of date. Stick with God’s Word, even if it makes you unpopular, in fact Paul tells us, it will make you unpopular – “all who desire to lead a godly life will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). But just as Paul endured suffering because He knew it was worth it, so should we. And just as Paul didn’t dare alter Scripture because He knew it was breathed out by God, nor should we.
Light and Momentary Troubles 
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