Many ordinary Christians are woefully ignorant. In a class of enthusiastic Christian students at a summer conference, all of college level, all ‘on fire for Jesus’, singing wild ‘gospel songs’ with abandon, thirty four out of thirty five had not the dimmest notion of justification by faith. The present treatise will at least quote some very elementary Biblical passages, if not for the edification of those whirling dervishes, at least for the sober-minded, even if poorly instructed, church members who genuinely want to understand this central doctrine of Christianity. ... Christians and any others who are ignorant but intelligent admit their deficiency and make an honest effort to learn.
The value of detailed study of the Bible is asserted by the Bible itself. Those who still believe that the Scriptures are the inerrant word of the infallible God, who is truth itself, should carefully study what treatment the Bible demands for itself:
- These words….shall be in your heart; you shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them…. - Deuteronomy 6:5-7
- He shall read it all the days of his life... - Deuteronomy 17:19
- His delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law he meditates day and night. - Psalm 1:2
- My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate on your word. - Psalm 119:148
- Search the Scriptures - John 5:39
- Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. - John 17:17
- These…….searched the Scriptures daily. - Acts 17:11
- Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom - Colossians 3:16
We are to realize that God speaks the truth; and that he spoke the truth so that we might gain an understanding of his mind, so that also we ourselves might have the mind of Christ. Nowhere are we told to have the emotions of Christ. But scripture repeats and repeats the exhortation to understand divine truth.
- Copied From Gordon Clark's Book, The Atonement