God’s Word Is Not a Cadaver
Those training to be medical doctors face many significant difficulties, but one you may not be aware of is the necessity of dissecting and studying human cadavers. Uncle Google says that while some medical schools are incorporating virtual reality and 3D digital models, most still consider hands on study of real human bodies indispensable. Medical students know they must become intimately acquainted with the human body, able to not only identify the hundreds of individual parts, but also to understand how they interact with each other. In short, they must face death in order to be equipped to save life.
I am suddenly grateful I am not a doctor, and even more grateful for those who are.
For those with the courage and mind to pursue such study, glorious marvels await. After all, the human body is an astounding work of God’s creation, being fearfully and wonderfully made. I must assume that after a while, students overcome their initial reactions, and begin building an increasing base of knowledge and understanding. In time, some of them will become so knowledgeable, they will be qualified to be teach others, leading nervous new students into the intricacies of the human body.
I wonder if they ever need reminding, they are not just dealing with a human body, but a human life?
Some of you are wondering, “What prompted you to take us down this grim path?” It was a conversation with another pastor as we lamented the common tendency for knowledgeable believers to treat God’s Word like a cadaver. Many build a solid base of knowledge, becoming familiar with hundreds of Scriptures and understanding key themes and doctrines. Some go even further, developing nuanced positions on commonly debated theological issues, and be able to argue our views with skill.
But is God speaking to you by his Word? The Bible is not a cadaver for us to dissect, but the voice of God to dissect us. I love that Evergreen has a high view of Scripture, and that we take seriously the need for careful study. But I sense a need for our church body to freshly embrace God’s Word as living and active, sharper than a scalpel, exposing and excising the malignant attitudes our hearts, and bandaging them up with the oil of his grace.
So, when you open the Bible in your private meeting with God, or with your Life group, or in the weekend services, invite the living God to speak to you by his Word. He promises that we will receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:12-16)
Pastor Toby
Categories: Evergreen Connection