IS THE BIBLE OBSOLETE? Do we need the Bible? Many churches today operate off a feel-good experience. The idea is not what you know, but who you know. Some say, as long as you know Jesus, that’s enough, but is it?

This series addresses the concerns we all have: the concern for sin, evil, death, dying, and what happens after we die. Is there hope after death? When God created us, humans, he intended for us to live forever in a loving, peaceful relationship with him. But this relationship has been broken by sin.

Here, we address the origin of sin and look more closely at death and dying.

But, instead of looking at death negatively, we look at it in the context of hope, the promised hope based on what Jesus did for us when he died and came back to life again. 

From the Sabbath School Adult Bible Study Guide 2022 Quarter 4: Sabbath.School (See also Hope Sabbath School and 3ABN Sabbath School)

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Inviting God’s Presence

Heavenly Father, your word is like a light that shines in a dark place to lighten the way. Lighten our path so that we can clearly see the way. In Jesus’ Name Amen

The Bible lets us know that Satan will transform himself into an angel of light. He will use this transformation as an attempt to deceive many. One of his end-time deceptions is the use of mysticism.

What is mysticism?

Mysticism is a complex term for a religious experience that includes many different religious beliefs and ideologies. But, the basics of mysticism, is the idea that a person’s spirit joins with a Higher Power in what appears to be a spiritual experience or trance.

In this experience, the person may look as if they are asleep. But they can walk, talk, answer questions, and follow commands the same as a person who is awake.

This type of worship experience is becoming a common part of many Christian churches today.

Interestingly enough, what is happening is that the members of the churches are moving away from Bible truth and relying on their personal feelings and experience. Thus, the Bible and the teachings of the Bible within these churches are becoming obsolete or optional rather than a necessity.

But should we replace the teachings of the Bible with our personal religious experiences?  And is what is written in the Bible obsolete?

The problem is that a subjective religion, based on personal experience, does not provide a safeguard against Satan’s deception, especially his end-time deceptions.

This type of religious practice tends to replace “God” with the experiences of a person. Thus, these religious experiences put professed believers in danger because without the word of God as a guide the person is not protected from Satan’s lies and deceptive practices.

This is why Jesus in Matthew 7:21–27, talks about the importance of building our houses “on rock” and not “on sand.” There is a significant difference between a house built on a rock in contrast to one built on sand.

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’

23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. (Split)

26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: (Split)

27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:21-27) (Split)

There is a strong tendency in the postmodern Christian world to downplay the importance of biblical doctrines. They regard them as a boring and obsolete form of religion.

Thus, these once Bible-believing churches are saying that Bible teachings are unimportant. They say that the most important thing is not what you know but whom you know. So, they have falsely replaced the teachings of Christ with the person of Christ. (Split)

They argue that the teachings in the Bible are old-fashioned and not relevant. They believe many of the Bible stories or teachings are false. Why?

Because they believe Jesus would never let some things happen the way the Bible says they happened. So, they downplay many of the Bible stories and teachings. One of these teachings is related to obedience to God’s word.

Thus, Personal feelings and taste become the criteria for interpreting the Scriptures. It is even used as a standard for rejecting much of what the Bible clearly teaches.

Hence, they disregard the Bible’s teaching on the importance of obeying God, which as Jesus said is essential to building one’s house on the rock.

So, people who think they only need to believe in Jesus are in danger of Satan’s deceptions.

Remember, the Romans who killed Protestants during the Dark Ages also believed in Jesus. The people who cast out demons in Jesus’ name believed in Jesus, too according to Matthew 7:22

22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ (Matthew 7:22)

“The position that it is of no consequence what men believe is one of Satan’s most successful deceptions. He knows that the truth, received in the love of it, sanctifies the soul of the receiver; therefore he is constantly seeking to substitute false theories, fables, or another gospel.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 520. (Split)

It is therefore our duty we fight against the feeling or wish to do things that God’s Word warns us not to do. This requires that we totally surrender our wills to God, seek to obey his word, and allow him to lead. Thus, it should be our desire to live as Jesus expressed in Mathew 4:4 when battling with Satan.

4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” (Mathew 4:4)

Today there is a common phenomenon in which people have died and come back to life, to tell of their experience afterlife. How is their experience different from those Jesus brought back to life? And what is the danger in believing the testimonies from these near-death experiences, rather than relying on the word of God? Find out: Day 3: Near-Death Experiences

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