It is currently banned or restricted in 52 countries all over this globe. Countless numbers of them have been destroyed, and many school districts in this so-called Christian nation have discouraged or forbidden it to be brought into the classroom. Teachers have even been fired for doing so. So what horrible document are we talking about here? Is it child pornography, or song lyrics that promote suicide, or something that is obviously just as dangerous?
No, it's the Holy Bible! Yes, the Bible has been called the most dangerous book in the world because it makes the human race face up to their failings and depravity. It confronts sin, and a lot of people don't like that today. Back in the 18th Century, well-known atheist and French author, Voltaire, once held up a copy of the Bible, and boldly shouted, "In 100 years, this book will be forgotten and eliminated." Quite ironically, shortly after his passing, the Geneva Bible Society bought Voltaire's house, and used it for a print shop. To print what? You guessed it, Bibles!
You might think that a book that millions have died for, would have a more provocative title, like, "The Ultimate Q and A Book," or, perhaps, "How Not to Go To Hell," or even, "Jesus is Definitely Coming Back, and He is Not Very Thrilled." But, the fact is, it's the Holy Bible! You see, that is why it is so dangerous—if the Bible is what it claims to be, namely the very Word of God, then it claims authority over everyone in the universe. Perhaps I can liken it to a police officer who pulls up behind you with flashing lights—he is claiming authority over you. If you pull over, you have agreed to that rule, but if you don't, you have rejected the power of the officer's claims—and you will eventually get caught anyway, and even arrested! Many people will—in the end—have their self-satisfying view of life "pulled over" by the truth of their Maker. Maybe the Holy Bible should come with a warning label—"Danger...This Book contains the explicit and infallible words of God, and the way you respond to them will determine your eternal destiny!" Remember Voltaire? He said that those words would be forgotten and eliminated—maybe he was right! Literally, no, but I think there are many ways to forget and to eliminate something.
Yes, many ways! Through the years, I have run in to many people who say they believe every word of the Bible, but when asked about it, they don't have any idea what it says! Others say it's boring, and that becomes their "ironclad" excuse. Still others assert they hang on every word, when, in fact, they twist its meaning to suit them. They say they are being obedient to God's Word, but they often take it out of context to meet their own self-satisfying view of life. Yes, and still others say they can't understand it. I think the problem is not so much what they don't understand, but what they do understand only too well—God is the ultimate authority and will judge all of these responses Even when we respond rightly, and surrender to the Lordship of Jesus, that is still judgment as we die to self. I heard of one church's Sunday School that writes in the flyleaf of all the Bibles presented to its students, "Either this Book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this Book." I think the fear of the Lord is really the key—is God God or not? Actually, there will be no real understanding without the power of the Highest—the Holy Spirit, who actually inspired the Word of God.
I would like to take a look at this from the vantage point of the relationship between the 2nd and 3rd Persons of the Trinity—the Son and the Holy Spirit. Rene' Pache, one of Europe's outstanding evangelical scholars, in his work, "The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit," says of the fellowship between Jesus Christ and the Spirit, "The unity between the Son and the Spirit is marked by the fact that the attitude adopted by men toward one determines that which they maintain toward the other. He who rejects Christ, resists the Holy Spirit; he who yields entirely to Jesus, is used
by the Holy Spirit." In order to get the drift of this, we must first delve into a title that is given to the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Jesus. You see, the name, "Jesus," used almost 600 times in the gospels alone, is referring specifically to the human being born of Mary. She had been told, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35) The Holy Spirit will produce something holy within all who let Him overshadow and dwell within. So, from conception, Jesus had the Spirit, and that was the Spirit of Jesus!
Secondly, the Spirit is called the Spirit of Christ. In Paul's discussion of how the Spirit delivers us from the power of sin, he says—by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit—"So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is not of His." (Romans 8:8,9) This "Christ" is the preexistent 2nd Person of the Trinity, who came down to this earth to fill the man Jesus, hence, the Spirit of Christ. And, thirdly, the Spirit is called the Spirit of Jesus Christ, putting the human and the divine together. This double title is only used 6 times in the gospels, while it was a favorite of Paul's, being used 66 times. Peter and John employed it 21 times. In other words, the Holy Spirit is inextricable connected to Jesus, so, be very careful what you do with either!
This, I think is amazingly seen in yet another title that shows the relationship between the 2nd and 3rd Persons of the Godhead—that of Witness. When challenged by the Jewish authorities, Peter and the other apostles declared, "We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him." (Acts 5:29b-32) They were testifying to seeing Jesus crucified and killed, and then they made the outstanding claim that the Holy Spirit was also an eye-witness. Since all the apostles are gone, the Spirit remains the only living Witness in the world to all that Jesus Christ suffered for our redemption. In His darkest hour, even though He felt forsaken, he was comforted by the fact that the Spirit of God was right there—with Him and in Him! Dr. Elder Cumming, in his volume, "Through the Eternal Spirit," states this clearly, "There were human witnesses of the outward tragedy, but the Spirit, who had been the lifelong companion of Jesus Christ's deepest and most secret thoughts, was the One Solitary Witness of the infinite and eternal value which enforced and informed the sacrifice." Quite simply, because He was there, the Spirit can illuminate all that the Cross means—a totally changed heart and life, stemming from a complete willingness to come into the order of God.
Speaking of "comfort," Jesus spoke of it, too—"If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." (John 14:15-17) This "Comforter," in the Greek, is "parakaletos," specifically referring to one who invites us to holiness, exhorts us away from sin, and even consoles and helps us, interceding all of the way—no matter the situation. Obviously, this comforting does not condone sin, and, Praise God—it never will!
It is significant to remember that Jesus said the Spirit would be another comforter, intimating that He Himself was the first. The word, in the Greek, is "allon," meaning "another of the same kind," rather than, "heteros," referring to "another of a different kind." In other words, the Holy Spirit continues what Jesus Christ began to do while He was on this earth. The Spirit will NOT use other techniques. He will teach and strengthen us, just as Jesus did—with the power of the Highest, and not by entertainment or warm, fuzzy sermons. He will comfort and console in the midst of very difficult situations, just as Jesus did—with no soft-soaping or ignoring the sin. He will intercede in prayer, like Jesus did—without encouraging the satisfying of the self-life. He will also be a friend forever, just like Jesus—in total honesty, inviting us into the glorious life of obedience to the true Word of God. Remember—how you see Jesus, and respond to Him, determines what role the Holy Spirit will play in your life. Reject Jesus, and you resist the Holy Spirit; submit to the Son, and the Spirit will use you mightily! Yes, it's quite dangerous—you might actually end up living to the glory of God, and not to yourself! Imagine!
