On a separate occasion, another lady had said that Proverbs 13:24 ("He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.") did not mean to spank your child.
The common thread between these two women is that both claim to believe in God. The former is a Unitarian; the latter is a confessed Christian.
I don't know their hearts, only God does. However, their statements do pose a problem for the practicing Christian: Do I believe in God's Word in toto or not? It's pretty clear from II Timothy 3:16 that, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" Thus, the question begs an answer: Do I put my trust in the Bible, God's word revealed to man, or do I place my confidence in man's word?
It's a risky thing to obey God's word because it will bring laughter, scorn, derision and pity from non-believers and apostates alike. To be sure, obedience brings blessings from God (James 1:22-25). Yet, it is more risky and deadly to pick and choose what to believe in the Bible. Revelation 22:18-19 state, "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."
The Greek word apostasia is used here for the “falling away.” It is from this word that we derive the English word “apostasy.” Apostasy is defined as “a defection from the truth,” or “a departing from that which was given at first.”
To wit, II Timothy 4:3-4: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."
It whittles down to this: Trust in the Jeremiah Wrights, Oprahs and Joel Osteens of the world) or in the Eternal One, who said, "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6)?
Are you prepared to stand up for the truth that Christ spoke about? To do so carries risks that include being labeled a "fundamentalist", "intolerant", or "divisive". It's a risk we must be willing to take and go out to the world to speak the truth. The alternative is to face God and hear Him say, "Depart from me. I never knew ye."
Whose words are you going to believe?
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