Is That True?

According to Scripture, all Scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim 3:16-17). Jesus claimed God's word is truth (John 17:17). So ... Scripture ... is true. That is, on the basis of God being true and reliable (Jesus said, "I am the truth (John 14:6).), Scripture is true as well. So ... why do we read so many impossible things? A prime example is the number of things that Scripture says are impossible that we believe to be possible.

Scripture says, "No one can come to Me unless it is granted him by the Father" (John 6:65). Wait ... really? "No one can"? It requires a grant from the Father? We always thought anyone could. Similar to Jesus telling Nicodemus, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). "Born of the Spirit" is required to even perceive the kingdom of God? Or take Paul's astounding statement, "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor 2:14). That's a "not able." Lacking the capability. They can neither accept nor understand. But ... we're pretty sure they can. (Understand the implications. If it is true that they can neither accept nor understand, then they cannot come to Christ before being born again.) And this one. "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God" (1 John 3:9). "Cannot keep on sinning"?? I know. It says, "make a practice of." That doesn't preclude a sin. It precludes uninterrupted, unrepented sin. But we generally think that genuine Christians can and do sin on a lifelong, unrepentant manner. Or the standard, "No one does good, not even one" (Rom 3:12). No one does good? No one? Doesn't everyone? This says no.

So ... who are you going to believe? Common sense? The tide of public opinion? Your own perceptions? Or will you stand on God and His Word? I suspect that we who claim to be "Bible-believing Christians" might have a lot of modifications to our thinking to align with God's Word ... and God's thinking. I just hope we're sincere enough and brave enough to do it. You know ... to renew your mind (Rom 12:2).