This Sunday we’re going to talk about how we can know that the Bible is true. It logically follows that I should write about some phrases or sayings that some people believe are in the Bible, but are not found in God’s Word. Chances are those who believe these sayings are from the Bible did not take the time to “search the Scriptures” like the Bereans (Acts 17:11) “to find out whether these things were so.” So, let’s examine some of these sayings.
One that I have often heard is: “God helps those who help themselves.” While not being in the Bible, some people think that Ben Franklin may have said it first, but no one is certain. Such thinking is not found in the Scriptures. If anything, “God helps those who turn to Him for help.” Hebrews 11 repeatedly reminds us that this is how Noah, Abram, and the rest of the patriarchs, prophets, and priests were known. The truth is found in Psalm 18:2, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
Another false phrase not found in the Scriptures is: “God wants me to be happy.” This idea comes from the faulty ideology that God is some kind of Santa Claus or Genie who gives you whatever you ask, so long as it makes you happy. It seems to me that the faithful men and women we read about in the Scriptures weren’t always “happy.” While Jesus saw the joy of our salvation in the cross, He suffered terribly. While Paul was satisfied to preach the Gospel, he too was tortured, imprisoned, and left for dead. All of the Apostles died a martyrs death except two. Judas hung himself and John died of natural causes. Living in a sin-stained world is not where we find happiness. True happiness – true joy, is found only in Christ.
“Cleanliness is next to godliness” is another spurious statement. It’s been assumed that it originated with faithful parents who wanted to encourage their children to clean up themselves and their things. It’s been guessed that second-century Rabbi Phineas ben Yair is the source of this untruth. The Bible does, however, teach us that children are to honor their father and mother (Exodus 20:12). So, if mom or dad says to wash up – kids should wash up!
Still another invalid inscription is: “We all worship the same god.” The contemporary thinking that it doesn’t matter who your god is; that he/she/it is the same god in all religions is something completely foreign to the Scriptures. We could easily cite Exodus 20:1-3 and Deuteronomy 6:4, but 1 Corinthians 8:4-6 says it all nicely, “4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.”
One last wrongful writing is connected to the former: “We’re all going to the same place when we die.” This fallacy assumes that we are all worshipping the same god. This untruth also assumes that a loving God would never allow anyone to perish in hell. The Biblical truth is there are two possible destinations when we die: heaven or hell. Revelation 20:11-15 speaks of the final judgment, “11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
The way that someone’s name is written in the Book of Life is to become a Christian. There are only two ends for a soul and only two ways to travel (Matthew 7:13-14). Jesus made it clear in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” To not follow the Way of Christ is to follow the way of destruction.
There are other phrases or sayings that some people believe are found in God’s Word. The best way to know for sure is to search the Scriptures to find out whether these things are so.
