Scripture or Experience

(Rob McLeod)

My desire is that the following discussion will allow believers to avoid falling into either of the two ‘ditches’ that seemingly run parallel to the path which we walk with Jesus.

Ditch #1:

Falling into one of the ditches occurs when our confidence is mistakenly placed in our familiarity with Scripture rather than in the author Himself. In John 5:38-40, Jesus told the scripturally knowledgeable crowd: “But you do not have His [God’s] word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”

Perhaps you have grown up in a ‘Christian home’ and you have heard the truths of Jesus since day one. Or, perhaps you are a father and you strongly desire to instill biblical foundations in your children. This is a great thing to have received as a child or to desire as a parent for your children (Deuteronomy 6:6-9; 2 Timothy 3:14-15). Indeed it is a command from the Lord that children be instructed in His ways. But in this lifelong process of learning from the Bible we must be aware that the studying of the Word is not the end in itself. Head knowledge of Scripture can be confused for having a personal and intimate walk with the Lord. For example, I grew up in a home with parents who were strong believers. I heard much teaching from Scripture, I knew the order of the books in the Bible and I was even aware of the dynamic salvation stories of my parents. So although I was taught of the Lord it was not until later in life that I was truly caught by the Lord. Being taught and being caught are two different matters entirely! To be taught is to be informed but to be caught is to be growing and increasingly desirous of the Lord. Jesus told Nicodemus, a Scripturally well-informed Pharisee, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” (John 3:6-7) Jesus was telling Nicodemus that a new birth, initiated by the Holy Spirit, is the only means to be a new creation. Your child is not a believer simply because they have nicely instilled character. Indeed, the most heinous person (in our eyes at least) can come in simple faith-filled repentance to the Lord after hearing the good news for the first time and be much more a son of God than the squeaky clean child who knows all of the Bible ‘stories’ and how to behave at the Sunday meeting. A ‘religious drunk,’ contentedly overflowing in his head knowledge, can be much more difficult to handle than one drunk with alcohol. The one drunk with alcohol may be sober by the next afternoon whereas the religious person, drunk only on information, may never soberly see his true spiritual need.

Please do not see the preceding discussion in any way as denigrating the value of studying Scripture. Quite the contrary. Peter says, “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” (1 Peter 2:2) Paul writes, “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 may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) The point I am trying to make is that Scripture points to a real, living and life-giving person—Jesus. He is our life. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:4) I have never met a healthy believer who minimizes the need for, or the power of, Scripture. The primary means for hearing from the Lord truly occurs when we spend time in His written word.

Ditch #2:

You may have heard the saying, “Seeing is believing.” To need or to demand to see something specific with our own eyes is quite possibly a back door to prioritizing experience over faith in the Lord’s settled word. Consider the disciple Thomas. He truly struggled with the belief that Jesus had resurrected from the dead. In John 20:25 Thomas openly states: “Unless I see in His [Jesus’] hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” One cannot accuse Thomas of hiding where he stood in his walk. He would not believe until he saw. Jesus subsequently, and graciously, allowed Thomas to see His bodily scars. Nevertheless Jesus remarked, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)

There may be times when we strongly desire to see the Lord visibly do something that would display His power and presence. Perhaps we want to see something ‘big’ simply to dissipate our quiet unbelief or frustration with our spiritual walk. This desire to experience more of the Lord can become misguided when we dictate the terms of His working and what things should look like. Indeed it is 100% correct to desire more of the Lord. None of us have yet attained to all that the Lord has for us. But the Holy Spirit’s working is not formulaic and He rarely works to scratch our spiritual itches and preferred manifestations of His presence.  

I grew up in a revival-focused body of believers. The not-so-subtle instruction was to always pray for ‘revival.’ Whatever that meant at the time I was never quite sure. Looking back now, I realize that a number of older believers in our church body at the time had previously experienced a move of the Lord earlier in their lives that had captivated multiple churches in their community. It was truly and definitively life-changing for them. But as the years progressed they longed to experience a ‘fresh move’ (revival) again in much the same vein. Despite their prayers, however, they did not see the large-scale replication of the work for which they yearned. There may be multiple reasons for this, some of which I likely still don’t understand. But at the end of the day the instruction is for us to trust, not just to seek what we prefer. The apostle Paul was miraculously delivered from multiple imprisonments, beatings and shipwrecks. Nevertheless, history records that he died as a martyred prisoner. If Paul’s desire was for a replication of the Lord’s previous miraculous working he may have become disillusioned. But I believe that Paul saw the bigger picture. He wrote in Philippians 4:11-13, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I find it encouraging here that even Paul had to learn to see Christ in every situation. I am confident that Paul had strong personal preferences as to how the Lord may work in and through him. But Paul, in believing faith, knew that the Lord’s will was best. He could find contentment and strength to serve in any situation that came his way, without dictating to the Lord in advance what that should exactly look like.

Opened Eyes

Ultimately, all Scripture points us to further life and faith in Jesus. We need to be in the Word and we will have our spiritual eyes opened by Him as we come to Him in belief instead of doubting. 

Consider the following:

“Then He [Jesus] said to them, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?’ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself… And they said to one another, ‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?’” (Luke 24:25-27; 31-32)

“And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.” (2 Corinthians 4:13-14)

Our Lord’s goal is to conform us to His likeness (Romans 8:29). How this path exactly looks will be His choice. It is the complete transformation of our spirit, soul and body that will give our Father the most glory as He accomplishes His eternal purpose of gaining His bride, the New Jerusalem (Ephesians 4:13; Revelation 21:1-2). Our Spirit is regenerated (born again) at salvation (John 3:6-7); our mind and will subsequently are transformed as we willingly submit to Him in this life (Romans 12:1-2); last, at the resurrection, we will receive a perfected and glorified body (1 Corinthians 15:50-54). This, as outlined by Scripture, is to be our ultimate experience!