How Then Shall We Recover Our Biblical Mind

HOW THEN SHALL WE RECOVER OUR

BIBLICAL MIND

By

Jerry Falwell

INTRODUCTION

My good friend, Francis Schaeffer wrote a challenging book How Then Shall We Live? which challenged us to ground our daily living in the Word of God. I have taken a page out of his book to call this sermon How Then Shall We Recover Our Biblical Mind?. Why do we need to recover? Because we’ve lost something we once had, we’ve lost our way of thinking biblically. Americans used to think biblically, but we’ve lost it. A businessman thought biblical principles, our school teachers taught biblical principles, our parents used biblical thoughts of raising children, and the average layman on the street was well-aware of the Bible. But we’ve lost our biblical mind, and we have not put something better in its place. Listen to what the Barna Research Group has said:

· 1 out of 4 Americans can correctly identify John 3:16.

· 1 out of 5 Americans can correctly define the Gospel.

· 1 out of 3 Americans read their Bible regularly.

· 1 out of 3 Americans believe in a literal Hell.

· 4 out of 10 Americans cannot name half of the 10 Commandments.

· 4 out of 10 Americans cannot name one of the four Gospels.

· Only 1 out of 10 Americans can identify the Great Commission.

· 4 out of 10 Americans believe that Jesus sinned.

These statistics are so discouraging, that many people want to give up teaching the Bible. But I would like to ask, “Shall we then give up?” If we then give up, we give in to the world, the flesh and the Devil. Even though Christians seem to know much less knowledge about the Bible than in previous generations, we must turn it around. Chuck Swindoll spoke at Liberty’s graduation and said,

“The greatest need in our times, is for God’s people to be biblically literate.” I could not agree more.

RE-DISCOVERING THE IMPORTANT OF THE BIBLE

The problem with our churches is that we only give lip-service to obeying the Scriptures.

Some pastors only teach Bible content, without applying biblical principles of life. Some pastors only tell Bible stories without calling for repentance. Some pastors preach about the Bible, without influencing the life of hearers. Some pastors don’t even believe the Bible is the Word of God, I have no idea what they preach.

The following Scriptures should help us re-discover a biblical mind. “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). This verse tells us that if we want our people to have more faith, we must get them into the Word of God.

“Desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby” (I Peter 2:2). This verse tells us that if we want our people to grow spiritually, we must get them into the Word of God. Why are so many Christians shallow? Because they’re not in the Bible. Why are so many Christians defeated by sin? Because they don’t think scripturally. Why are so many Christians living in sin? Because they don’t have a biblical mind.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God might be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16, 17).

The Bible is not just a slogan to put over your desk, or to hang on the walls of your home. This verse tells us why the church is so weak. We do not understand doctrine, because we do not know the Word of God. Why is the sin of Christians not corrected? Because they are not in the Word of God. Why are the men of God not perfect? Because they do not know God’s standards of perfection. Why is the church not doing good works? Because they do not have a Bible mind.

“For the Word of God is full of living power, it is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we are” (Hebrews 4:12 Living Bible).

This verse tells us why Christians today have little power to live for God. They have forgotten that the Bible is the power of God to change lives from the inside out. The King James version of this verse reminds that the Bible has power, “For the Word of God is quick and powerful . . .” (Hebrews 4:12).

What is the greatest power needed by the Church today? It is not the power of money from fund-raising, it is not the power of great crowds attracted by advertisement, it is not the power of excitement that comes from rhythm bands in the church. The greatest power is divine activity that takes place in the heart of the person who opens himself to the Bible. Why do I say people don’t know the power of God,