Editorial November 22, 1982 Issue

Obedience to the Bible

NATHAN A. TALBOT

There is more than one way to obey the Bible. Perhaps the simplest approach is to become familiar with its rules and precepts—then follow them as best we can in daily life. Such fidelity to Bible standards can provide a stabilizing influence; it can give us a measure of peace and happiness.

But unless we go even further, we're likely to find limits to this kind of Bible obedience. Say, for example, one has decided to follow the scriptural standard for morality. Even the strongest of such good intentions may eventually cave in under aggressive temptations if we are depending mainly on a human effort to live the straight and narrow. An additional problem can also crop up: When we're hanging on just to the formalities of right action, we may find it hard to avoid a condemning attitude toward those who aren't doing quite as well as we think we are doing.

There's another way to cultivate an obedience to the Bible—a way that not only strengthens our ability to resist temptation but also provides a powerful impetus to spiritual growth. We can move beyond just trying to do what people in the Bible have told us to do; we can delve more deeply into why they offered certain rules and standards.

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