Does Knowing the Bible Make You a Good Person?
Are you a Good Person Because you Know the Bible?
People read the bible supposedly to get close to God, to know God, and to know his son. Hither though people can read the bible for different reasons. Good and bad people can read the bible. Reading, or having religious thoughts does not make you a good person. However, doing the work of God and carrying out those thoughts defines who you are. Let us meditate on Luke 10:25-37. In this illustration, a lawyer stands up to test Christ. He says to Christ, "Who is my neighbor?" Christ replied giving an illustration, "A man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho and he fell into the hands of two robbers. The robbers stripped beat and robbed him leaving him in the condition of being near death. A priest just so happens to pass by on the same road but when he saw the beaten man he crossed over to the other side and carried on his way. A Levite also was traveling the same road on foot and crossed over to the other side as well after seeing the beaten man. Furthermore, a Samaritan was on his journey and saw the beaten man on the road. He felt compassion for the poor soul. The Samaritan poured wine and oil on the man's wounds and afterward carried him to an Inn to take care of him. The following day the man paid the Inn keeper to take care of him and said he would pay more money when he comes back. Christ said to the lawyer, "which of three men traveling on the road is the man's neighbor that was beaten." The lawyer replied, "The one that showed him mercy." Christ said in response, " You go and do likewise."
The moral of this illustration is that anyone can know the bible and have religious thoughts, but it is the work of those thoughts that will define the goodness in you. To have knowledge of God's words, to go to church every Sunday, and to quote scripture does not make you close to God. Thousands and thousands of people go to church hoping to get into heaven, while there are thousands of homeless people on the streets. The way to serve God is to not only study the words of God, but to do the words of God. The bible says that faith without works is dead. James 2:14:26 goes on to say that what does it profit someone to have faith but no works. It further goes on to say if your brother or sister is destitute of food and clothing and you speak religiously to him, " Go in peace and be warmed and filled." What good are the words from your mouth is going to do for that person? Faith without works is dead.
What message are you sending, only knowing the word of God without works?
What message could a person be sending when he or she thinks that all they have to do is know the scriptures to get to heaven. First and foremost you have to have the mentality for it. Persons can not just say, "I am going to start doing God's work so that I can get into heaven." Having that mentality is saying that you are just doing the work so that you can show favor in the eyes of God and get into heaven. This thinking is saying look at me God, I am doing this. Showing Godly works has to come straight from the heart. There is so much evil in the world today, and some of that evil exist because good men sit and do nothing.
Some church members do not associate themselves with people who are not of their religion and share their same ideas. When people put on that personality it will grow into a characteristic of, " I am better than you". While being blinded by the ego and not realize that they have a responsibility to God to do the work of God. Looking down on people who are not of your religion is not doing the work of God. This personality type will grow to feel that it has a sense of entitlement, treating those outside of their religious family bad and only treating their fellow church members right. When the Samaritan helped the beaten man on the road, he did not first ask, "are you a Christian?" He did the will of God.
