"But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” -Matthew 4:4 NLT
"I enjoy sports debate shows like ESPN First Take or Fox Sports 1’s Undisputed. These shows provide great insight on various sports leagues such as the NBA, NCAA, NFL, MLB, boxing, and many more. In addition to the insight that they provide, their hosts bring comedic value! There are hosts who do a phenomenal job of delivering information objectively based on stats and the “eye test” (eye test means what your eyes see). There are also times where they express biased opinions or pick and choose certain points about a player based on if they are fans or not.
In the same way, we find ourselves picking and choosing certain parts of the Bible that we agree with. For example, some may say that the Bible doesn’t say anything about tithing (giving 10% of your earnings) in the New Testament compared to the Old Testament. Malachi 3:8-10 NKJV from the Old Testament says, “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.” Luke 6:38 (NKJV) in the New Testament says, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
There are so many times when people pick and choose what they want to believe. Some people do this so that they can continue to live in the way they please, even if their soul is at stake. It starts with your heart and your motives. You must ask God to change your heart so that your desires align with His. Seek His will for your life, not your own.
No matter if it is the Old Testament or New Testament, we must understand that the Bible was written by various writers, but the words written were inspired by God. In other words, God gave the writers the words to say. Therefore, if we say that we are followers of Jesus Christ and that we love God, we must obey what He says. The Bible is a guide to help us to be more like Jesus Christ. There is a popular acronym for the Bible. B.I.B.L.E—“Biblical Instruction Before Leaving Earth.” The Bible is here to prepare for us for Jesus’ return because He loves us. It is not a book of rules created to hurt us or harm us. Every day, we must strive to be more and more like Jesus by first being willing to humble ourselves and surrender our lives to God daily.
Five ways that we can strive to be more and more like Jesus:
- “Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’” (Matthew 22:37 NLT)
- “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24 NLT)
- “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.“ (Matthew 6:33 NKJV)
- Hide and memorize the Word of God in your heart....”I have hidden your word in my heart,that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11 NLT)
- Allow God to guide your life....“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105 NKJV)
We can’t pick and choose what we want to believe and obey. It is time for us as the Body of Christ to obey God, He loves us and He knows what is best for us. “So be careful to obey all the commands I give you. You must not add anything to them or subtract anything from them.” (Deuteronomy 12:32)
We can't pick and choose what to obey.
2 Timothy 3:16
Matthew 4:4
James 1:22
Hebrews 11:6
Psalm 51:10