In my retirement I have the opportunity to listen to a lot of other preachers, something I didn’t get to do a lot of when I was in the pulpit every Sunday. I would guess you can imagine that preachers listen to other preachers with a critical ear, and I certainly do. But I do so not to be critical of the speaker. Rather I listen so that I can dig deeper into God’s Word myself. I want to see whether or not what they have said lines up with what God has told us in His Word. It causes me to question whether my own understanding of Scripture needs refining.

Let me give you some examples. Recently I heard someone talking about the gifts of the Spirit laid out in Galatians.

Galatians 5:22–23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

He then proceeded to identify this passage as Law, because it shows us how we fall short of God’s desire for us. That made me think “huh?” After all, the passage says “Against such things there is no law.” But he was correct. It was talking about living the new life to which God calls those who have put their faith in Jesus. We strive to live according to God’s Law as a grateful response to knowing we have been saved.

Then there was the pastor talking about “Doubting Thomas” and he wondered whether or not doubt was sin. He said “maybe.” He suggested that doubt comes from questioning your faith. If it causes you to dig deeper into God’s Word for answers, is it sin? I saw his point. But it made me think “Huh?” because a literal translation of the Greek in John 20 has Jesus saying to Thomas “Be not unbelieving but believe.” Perhaps we can think of doubt the same way we think of temptation. Being tempted is not sinful. Giving in to the temptation is.

I tell you this today because I don’t want you to think I have all the answers figured out. That is why I go back to the Bible. Always. “What does the Bible say?” That is my only reliable source of information about God. That is where I find the message of His overwhelming love that led Him to do whatever was necessary to buy me back from sin and death and give me forgiveness. And there is so much more in there for us to study and drink in and apply to our daily living.

When things make me think “huh?” I go back to the source.

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.