Posted on 10/10/2008 6:54:28 AM PDT by colorcountry
Read Acts 17:1-15
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15
When someone begins to tell us what they believe or we read a book talking about spiritual issues, how do we know if what they say is legitimate? What should our response be – our first course of action? Simple: go back to The Book. Search the Scriptures.
In today’s passage, we read about Paul’s preaching in Thessalonica. He spent three Sabbaths in the synagogue, explaining and proving that Jesus is the Christ. Many of the Thessalonians rejected the Gospel message on a whim and did not investigate to see if Paul was speaking the truth. They refused to believe and therefore missed the most wonderful message of all time.
Leaving Thessalonica, Paul went to Berea. The Bible tells us “the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians.” What was the reason for this high praise? “They received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” The Bereans neither hastily rejected nor accepted the Gospel message. Instead, they went about it the right way: they examined the Scriptures. The Bereans understood that anyone who truly delivers God’s message will never contradict or dismiss what God has already revealed in His Word.
The account of the Bereans is an important one for us; it clearly shows what our response would be when confronted with a spiritual truth claim. We must always go back to God’s Word, just as the Bereans did. Whether we accept a falsehood as true or we reject truth as false, we place ourselves on equally shaky ground. God’s Word protects us as we seek to determine what is true. Searching the Scriptures is a key component of exercising God’s call to discernment.
PRAYER POINT Pray that God will remind you to always search the Scriptures, relying on His Word to illuminate the truth.
Debate of any kind is not appropriate on a devotional thread. They are closed, i.e. to be treated as if they are occurring behind the closed doors of a church. -Religion Moderator
Previous Devotionals in this series
Day 3 – Who Cares About Truth?
Day 6 - A God by Any Other Name…
Day 11 – “But, I Didn’t Know…”
Day 12 – “Repent and Be Delivered”
Day 14 – A Call to Discernment”
Day 21 – When a Prophet Speaks
Non-Denom Ping
WORD!
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