It is odd to find a person that is actually desiring to constantly be reformed by God’s Word. As a general rule, people have pet things that they want to hang on to and will not let go of them no matter what they read, hear, or see.
This is a problem and is not how a Christian should approach God’s Word.
I believe that Scripture is what it says that it is. It is God’s Word. And because it is God’s Word, it is itself truth. In other words, as the Westminster Confession of Faith states,
The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, and obeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man, or church; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof: and therefore it is to be recieved, because it is God’s Word. – WCF 1:4
This authority described in the Westminster Confession is seen in passages like 2 Peter 1:19-20; 2 Timothy 3:16; 1 John 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Revelation 1:1-2.
If this is God’s Word then He has given us a message that we are obligated to believe because it is God’s Word. It ought to be believed and obeyed not because the pastor or anyone else told me to believe it but because it is itself God’s Word.
Coming at the Scriptures in this way is much different than the attitude that we most often see today. Rather than coming to God’s Word and being willing to be changed by God’s Word, we most often find people looking for the Scriptures to confirm what they already believe to be true (eisegesis).
Horrified But Willing To Change
Almost 10 years ago I was reading the Scriptures and came across something that I thought was truly terrifying. I began investigating what I read and did not find myself relieved at all. I was actually quite terrified. As I discussed this with my wife she was even more terrified than I was.
We had been wrong for so long. Both of us. We did not view God in this way before and we were scared at the thought of it. We did not want it to be true. We could not get away from Scripture teaching that God is totally sovereign in all spheres of life, even our salvation. And it terrified us.
There were tears shed and much conversation. We were horrified, but we were also willing to change. And quite honestly, grew to love God more because of what we now knew about Him. His love toward us now seemed more real and more vibrant. The horror turned to gratitude.
I’m happy to say that our attitude, for the most part (we all have blind spots), is the same. We long to be reformed by God’s Word and are totally willing to submit to what it says.
I think that’s the right attitude. We need to be ready and willing to submit to whatever God’s Word teaches. It is God’s Word. He knows more than I do. He knows what is truth. He teaches what is truth. And, I am obligated to believe and obey what He teaches.
R. Dwain Minor
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