During a recent “mental/emotional health” interview, I was asked the above question, one that is especially relevant to a world, homes, and hearts reeling from all of the fear, chaos, and division around us. I will concede that there are other secondary medical, therapeutic, economic, social, etc. remedies that may be required for these situations. But…as with any period in human history, the Bible is still heaven’s primary antidote to this world’s maladies.
Here is a succinct response from 2 Peter 1:
The Bible is sufficient. (There is a God-honoring, God-enabled way to address these challenges!)
2 Pe 1:3 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:”
The Bible gives hope. (HOPE IS EVERYTHING!)
2 Pe 1:4 “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
The Bible gives practical steps out. (God provides subsequent disciplines that build upon one another.)
2 Pe 1:5-7 “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.”
The Bible renews/maintains confidence. (We don’t have to give up…there is a kingdom coming!)
2 Pe 1:8-11 “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
As J.C. Ryle wisely writes, “The Bible is the true lantern for a dark and cloudy time. Let us beware of traveling without its light.” Get in the Book. Stay in the Book. When we do, there is nothing from which our mind, heart, body, home, church, and world cannot ultimately make a full recovery at the appearing of Jesus Christ!
The apostle John concludes, “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming” (1 Jn. 2:26-27). Because we have received the Holy Spirit, we do not need any one to teach us. This does not mean that we do not need Christian teachers in the church. God has made specific provision for such teachers in Ephesians 4:11. It means that the Christian does not need any teaching apart from what is found in the Word of God as to the truth of God. The Gnostics professed to have additional truth, but John is saying here that there is no need for additional truth. With the Word of God in our hands and the Spirit of God in our hearts, we have all that we need for healing instruction in the truth of God.
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