Why do we believe things about the Word of God the way we do?  Why do we hold to the teaching and doctrines?  There are many possible reasons for holding these truth.  But, are they the right reasons?

All Christians should want to know the truth and then practice that truth in their everyday walk for the Lord Jesus.  But the question before us today is: How can we know what I believe is right? Some of the reasons we give may be OK as secondary reasons.

Do we accept the doctrine in the Bible because:

•  Our Church teaches it.
• Our parents believe it.
• Our preacher preaches it.
• Our teachers teach it.

Let’s say that the individuals above are faithful to God’s Word. Christians should be able to expect that what is taught by the above is the truth.  If we have the faithful influences above, it should help us grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.

But we can not be saved by what others believe and teach, no matter if it is the truth.  Someone said, “no truth is truly yours until you find it for yourself in the Word of God.”. I must have a personal faith and belief in God’s Word. We can and do learn more about the Bible with the help of others.  By having a personal knowledge of the Word and the desire to learn more, that will help us to know whether what is being taught is Scriptural.

By knowing what is real and true, we can discern and distinguish truth from error. The Berean’s in Acts 17:11 were commended by the Apostle Paul, not because they accepted what he taught, hook, line, and sinker, but because “they searched the scripture daily to see if what he taught was true.”

We need to know God’s Word that way.  If we do, we will not be influenced by false teachers from within and without. We will be able to help not only  ourselves stay true to the “faith once for all delivered to the saints,” but will be able to teach others. We must follow the teaching Paul gave in 2 Tim. 2:2. It is there that he told Timothy to teach the Word to faithful men, who would likewise teach faithful ones. By following this excellent procedure, we can be faithful to the Word and know that we are helping future generations understand the importance of  studying and passing on God’s Word to others!

We have  been blessed with every Spiritual blessing  (Ephesians 1:3) The Apostle Paul is writing this epistle to the Christians in the city of Ephesus. He has talked about grace and peace in Eph. 1:2. We know that the “grace of God” was manifested in the person of the Lord Jesus. That grace was also an action, whereby God showed forth His love for lost mankind and the Lord Jesus was the Redeemer who came down to Earth to die for the sins of man­kind. Since we are now “in Christ,” we can claim the blessings in the letter also.

In Eph 1:3, Paul stresses first of all that we need to be praising the Heavenly Father above all things. God wants to bestow, yea, even lavish his love and blessings on His children. He is not up there in Heaven blessing us sparingly. Jesus said that He came that we might have an abundant life in Him. We must desire all that He has for us. We must want to live the Christian life to the fullest, learning more about Jesus every day. We strive for this because we want to “grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus,” as well as encouraging our fellow believers in their walk and reaching the lost with the message of salvation.

He has blessed us “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places IN CHRIST.” The same Greek words rendered here “heavenly places” are translated “heavenly things” in James 3:12. Since we are “citizens of Heaven,” (Phil. 3:20) we must look to the things above and not things on the earth. Our spiritual mindset must be honed in on Jesus at all times. We are but pilgrims and strangers here on earth. We sing “this world is not my home…,” and rightly so. But we are as John says in I John 2:15-17 “in the world but not of the world,” we have to have a heavenly perspective in life. That perspective comes from believing the words of Paul here in Eph. 1:3.