The way in which God speaks to His people has never changed: loudly and clearly.
The actual mode of delivery is different now than it was in Baalam's day when a donkey literally turned and spoke to him, or in Moses' day when God spoke to him from a burning bush, yet we can rely just as surely upon the written Word we have today as those men of old did on the audible voice of the Creator.
When we come to Scripture, we must realize that IT is reading US. It is alive and active, piercing to the division of the soul and spirit, bone and marrow. It is this exact realization that turns so many away from the precious Word of God. It convicts them to their core. I even remember reading about a homosexual in San Francisco who after reading Romans 1, immediately began to wage a grass roots efforts to get the entire chapter banned from any new printings. Indeed, there is a very popular, ongoing agenda to have warning labels placed on all Bibles, like so much as a pack of cigarettes. Nevermind the absurd collective worldview that we must never offend someone's "safe space", it is rampant sin and total rebellion against God that has our nation in a death grip.
The Word of God is the very real and simple declaration by God to us about who He is, who we are, and how He works in His world. These things are all wrapped up in the ultimate reality of Jesus and His atonement. One, seamless story acting as a rudder and helm of our life.
Without it, we are utterly lost.
Friend, you can trust the Word of God. You can stand upon it, like it is the immovable tip of Mount Everest. It is more than that. The mountains and skies will fall, but not one Word of God shall ever fail, it will last forever. Love it! Embrace it! Stare at it! Study it! Engage others about it! Take it deep within your breast, cherish it with all your might, and through the power of the Holy Spirit it will be your help, comfort, and guide with a depth that no earthly storms could ever assuage.
Recently, on a new local Christian radio station which I actually enjoy, the morning DJ was lamenting the recent statement by a one Jesse James of motorcycle and hot rod based reality tv fame. He is the ex-husband of Sandra Bullock, whom he reportedly emotionally abused as well as cheated on. What he said would be stunning in any other society but today's liberal post-modern one. He said, "I never should have married her. Everyone cheats. She just wasn't the right decision for me."
That is bad. What may be even more disheartening is the critique by the DJ. He admitted how horrible a thing that is to say, and then he said this. "That kind of reaction is due to a rough past."
Rough past?
Buddy, there are lots of folks out there with rough pasts who would never say such a thing. Conversely, there are lots of folks out there with amazing, Christ-influenced pasts, who flatly deny God and promote immorality.
The issue here is that of something called sin. Heard of it?
Yeah, that is the thing God hates. It is sin which corrupts, kills, and destroys. Sin is the reason Jesse James made such an asinine statement. Sin is the reason we see so much rebellion. Sin is the reason people deny the Word of God as truth. Sin is very loudly and clearly exposed by Scripture for what it is-- the wholly corruptive force at work in all parts and members of man, so that man is completely unable to please God of his own will.
I was speaking the other day at work to a young man who professes Christ. He expressed his appreciation of those who understand that not only could anyone ever know that there certainly is NO God, likewise no one could ever truly know that there is a God. Conversation ensued and as I began to press him with the Words of Scripture, he simply brushed off the Bible as something that could easily have errors and that is constantly interpreted by each of us to mean different things. He was most concerned that each of us having our own personality and character traits would always be a factor on how we read Scripture.
It is fine to talk about the ideas and beliefs you have, and often there are genuine, different views. However, truth by definition is absolute. Truth is true for everyone. Using your own experience or opinion to determine what actually is only leaves you bereft of real truth. The goal is to get your beliefs aligned with truth. Today's society wants to do the exact opposite. This subjective, relativistic view of Scripture and consequently of all truth has virtually destroyed the American mindset. It has completely invaded the visible church and it is the overarching worldview of all millennials and most of generation X. One conversation I had with a conservative, hardened old southern truck driver from the baby boomer era surprised me greatly when the individual began arguing with me that we cannot know truth!
He stated that since we only "see through a glass dimly", and since we will only know the full truth of the matter when we enter the presence of the Lord, anything we think we know down here is just hearsay and opinion.
One wonders how we could ever know truth "then" if we cannot know any truth at all "now", but that would be too obvious a question I guess.
Our Lord and Saviour is a big God. He is big enough to have created all things, and He is big enough to have gotten His Word to us down through the ages. The Word of God is proven out with the most stunning historicity and accuracy like no other book in the world. Nothing touches it. With even a cursory glance at the facts, we find the Bible blazing forth from history like a shining beacon in the night.
The problem is that we now live in a world where people want to declare facts as tyrannical, evil things. Rather than pay attention to the clear, undeniable voice of God, they suppress the truth in unrighteousness. They declare as hate speech anything which flies in the face of their own beliefs. Rather than even have a coherent conversation, they rail and rant with the intent of drowning out any rational voice with their noise.
Much like trying to hold down a beach ball in water, using all your energy to hold down clear truth because it doesn't suit you, won't last.
Sooner than later, the voice of God that everyone knows is there, will come thundering through penetrating the harsh crust of the seared consciences of all who exist. The goal will have been to be awakened before Christ comes. You will want to be on His side as He splits the sky open, riding with His vast armies, His Word going forth, only this time that precious, everlasting Word will destroy nations and cleanse the world of sin forever.
